Another week, another Boeing nightmare. This time, it was on a LATAM flight from Sydney to Auckland over the weekend, where at least 50 passengers were injured, some tossed to the roof of the plane, after the aircraft lost altitude. Twelve of those passengers were hospitalized, with one in serious condition, according to Forbes.
The plane — a Boeing 787-9 — reportedly experienced a "technical" problem about two-thirds into the flight that caused the aircraft to suddenly drop in altitude.
"The plane dipped so dramatically into a nosedive for a couple of seconds and around 30 people hit the ceiling hard," said one passenger, who told NZ Herald that the drop caused people to scream, and left blood "splattered" everywhere.
"None of us knew what had happened until after the flight, I was just trying to keep everyone calm. We never heard any announcement from the captain."
"I thought I was dreaming," said another witness. "I opened my eyes and [another passenger] was on the roof of the plane on his back, looking down on me. It was like The Exorcist." The witness said the rooftop passenger came crashing down on an armrest, breaking his ribs in the process.
From The Washington Post:
Passengers, speaking to local media, described seeing people being thrown to the ceiling and then falling to the floor as those on board felt a sudden rollercoaster-like drop — as if the plane were taking a nosedive — before the plane quickly leveled. …
A spokesperson for LATAM in an earlier statement described the incident as a "technical event" during the Auckland-bound flight aboard the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner carrying 263 passengers and nine flight and cabin crew members. …
A spokesperson for Boeing said, "We are working to gather more information about the flight and will provide any support needed by our customer."
Meanwhile, LATAM apologized for the latest Boeing breakdown, saying it "deeply regrets any inconvenience and discomfort this situation may have caused its passengers."
