At least 50 people were injured on Monday after a technical problem on a LATAM Airlines aircraft caused a strong movement during the flight from Australia’s Sydney to New Zealand’s Auckland.
Without providing many details, a spokesman for the South American airline told the NZ Herald that there had been a technical glitch on the flight that affected some passengers and crew.
“Some passengers and cabin crew were affected. They received immediate assistance and were evaluated or treated by medical staff at the airport as needed,” the statement by the LATAM Airlines read, according to RNZ (Radio NZ).
The injured people, majorly sustained minor wounds, and LATAM Airlines LA800 – a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner – landed at the Auckland airport as scheduled on Monday afternoon (local time), according to FlightAware. The flight normally stops in Auckland en route to Chile’s capital Santiago.
Of the 50 individuals, one person is in serious condition, as reported by news agency Reuters.
A passenger told RNZ that there was a “mid-air drop” that affected several passengers, claiming “people flew through the cabin” and got “pretty injured”.
He added that many of his colleagues were not wearing seatbelts at the time.
Another passenger told RNZ that the plane stopped 50 minutes out of Auckland and there were people flying around inside the cabin. She claimed that there was blood on the ceiling of the aircraft after people hit it due to apparent flying.
‘Technical problem’ on LATAM Sydney-Auckland flight.
A technical problem caused a strong movement on a LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland, as reported by the New Zealand Herald on Monday.
“The plane landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled. As a result of the incident, some passengers and cabin crew were affected. According to a LATAM spokesperson, they were given immediate assistance and evaluated or treated by medical staff at the airport as needed.
The flight involved was LA800, the report said. It was flown by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, according to data from the flight tracking service Flightaware.
Boeing and LATAM failed to respond to Reuters’ inquiries for comment immediately.
