About 50 people were hurt on Monday when a flight from Sydney to Auckland suffered a technical problem that caused "strong movement."
A spokesperson for South American airline LATAM confirmed to the New Zealand Herald and other news outlets only that there had been a "technical problem" on the flight that had affected some passengers and crew members. The airline cited a "strong movement" experienced by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, but it didn't give any further details on what caused it.
A passenger aboard the LATAM Airlines flight LA800 told the NZ Herald that the aircraft experienced a "quick little drop." While initial reports said that 24 people were injured, with only one in a serious condition, the number of those injured went up to 50 as more information about the incident came in.
Planes regularly suffer from the sudden and frightening impact of turbulence, which can sometimes cause them to drop alarmingly. People not wearing seatbelts can suffer serious injuries as a result. It wasn't clear from the early reports whether the incident was the result of turbulence, or something more serious.
There was a large emergency response to the incident, with Hato Hone St. John ambulance treating some 50 people at the airport, Reuters reported, with most suffering mild to moderate injuries. St. John was called to the airport at 3:58 p.m. local time on Monday and sent 14 units to the scene, including seven ambulances, two operation managers, two Major Incident Support Team vehicles, one command unit and two rapid response vehicles, according to Newshub.
St. John told the news agency that 12 patients had been taken to hospital, 10 of them to Middlemore Hospital in the suburbs of Auckland.
A spokesperson for LATAM told ABC News: "As a result of the incident, seven passengers and three cabin crew members were taken to Middlemore Hospital for medical checks, with no serious injuries reported."
They added that the airline "deeply regrets any inconvenience and discomfort this situation may have caused its passengers, and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards."
Newsweek contacted LATAM and Boeing for comment about the incident by email early on Monday. A spokesperson for Boeing told Newsweek: "We are working to gather more information about the flight and will provide any support needed by our customer."
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that landed in Auckland as scheduled was expected to later continue to Santiago, Chile, but the airline canceled the flight. A new flight to Santiago, LA1130, was rescheduled for Monday, March 12, departing at 8 p.m from Auckland local time.
A spokesperson for LATAM told Newshub that the airline will be covering food and accommodation for those whose flight to Chile has been canceled.
Update, 3/11/24 7:25 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a comment from a Boeing spokesperson.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek Reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. and European politics, global affairs ... Read more
