Summary
- Unintentional seat movement may need caused the sudden mid-flight drop on a LATAM Airlines flight to Auckland, Recent Zealand.
- The Chilean authorities are leading the investigation with the assistance of their Recent Zealand-based colleagues.
- While the flight landed safely, around 50 people were treated for injuries after the aircraft arrived at its destination.
Chilean investigators working on the LATAM Airlines incident, when around 50 people were injured in the course of the flight following a sudden mid-air drop, have focused on the movement of a pilot’s seat contained in the cockpit of the Boeing 787.
Unintentional seat movement
In response to a report by The Air Current, sources conversant in the investigation have indicated that the fast change in altitude might have been attributable to a possible movement of one in every of the cockpit seats, which might not have been intentional. Nevertheless, the circumstances of the movement, including whether there was a brief circuit, will not be fully clear.
As shown by the video embedded above, to be able to move back the captain’s seat on the Boeing 787, one would need to lift the lid to uncover the button that sits just under the headrest. Subsequently, pushing the button to the left slides the seat back, while pressing on the precise side of the button pushes the seat forward.
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Investigation underway
On March 12, 2024, a day after the incident, the Chilean Directorate General of Civil Aviation (Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil, DGCA) released a press release that in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) regulations, it’ll lead the investigation on the incident, because the Boeing 787 was registered in Chile.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying
At the identical time, the Recent Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) said that while the accident occurred in international airspace, the commission will help the Chilean investigators since they requested the help of the TAIC.
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Quick change in altitude
The incident happened on March 11, when a LATAM Airlines Boeing 787-9, registered as CC-BGG, suddenly lost altitude while flying between Sydney Airport (SYD) and Auckland Airport (AKL). In a press release to Easy Flying, a Hato Hone St John ambulance services representative confirmed that it deployed 14 units in response to the incident, treating around 50 patients, one in every of whom was in a serious condition.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying.
Meanwhile, a LATAM Airlines spokesperson said that the flight had a which caused LATAM Airlines flight LA800 landed safely at AKL on schedule. In response to the incident, the carrier also scheduled one other flight to Santiago International Airport (SCL) to bring back the passengers from Recent Zealand.
The aircraft involved within the incident returned to SCL on March 14. Subsequently, the Boeing 787-9 operated flight LA500 between SCL and Miami International Airport (MIA), landing on United States soil on time, based on Flightradar24 records.
50+ Passengers Injured After Sudden Drop On LATAM Boeing 787 From Sydney
The Boeing 787-9 landed safely in Auckland, Recent Zealand, where greater than 50 people needed to be treated by emergency services.