“People were thrown from their seats, hit the ceiling, fell into the aisles.”

New Zealand investigators recovered the plane's flight log on Tuesday Boeing From the airline LATAMAs part of the investigation due to the strong shock 50 passengers were injured On the way between Australia and Chile Via Auckland.

Passengers on board Boeing 787 Dreamliner There was panic in the cabin when the plane suddenly descended while traveling between Sydney and Auckland.

“The plane, without warning, just went down. I mean, it went down like nothing I've ever experienced in any kind of turbulence, people were thrown out of their seats, hit the roof of the plane, fell down the aisles.” He said. traveler Brian Jocutt For ABC Television in Australia.

“Some of the ceiling panels broke as people were thrown and hit the plastic ceiling panels on the pavement. Many more Bleeding from the head“.

The Chilean airline said in New Zealand on Tuesday morning that it was working with the relevant authorities to clarify the causes of the “technical incident”.

Accident investigators in New Zealand said on Tuesday they had begun gathering evidence “including the capture of cockpit voice and flight data records”. However, the spokesperson clarified “Investigation Similar to Chile”.

The incident adds to a long string of failures and problems with U.S. manufacturer Boeing's planes that have called into question the safety of its equipment.

Veronica Martinez, a sales manager said it felt like the plane stopped in midair and then “we crashed.” “People were flying, children were falling, it was terrible, many were injured,” Martinez told AFP.

Emergency personnel were notified of the incident shortly before the plane landed. More than a dozen ambulances and medical vehicles responded to the tarmac for his arrival.

Paramedics treated around 50 people at Auckland Airport. Health officials told AFP that four people had been hospitalized on Tuesday morning.

LATAM Airlines has explained that There were 263 passengers and nine crew members on board.It experienced “a strong movement”.

“Tied Belts”

As a result of this incident, 10 passengers and 3 cabin crew from Brazil (2), France (1), Australia (4), Chile (1) and New Zealand (2) were sent to hospital. Center to confirm his condition,” he said in a statement. “Only one passenger and one crew member sustained injuries requiring additional attention, but non-life-threatening injuries,” he added.

The airline said passengers will arrive Santiago They will leave Auckland on Tuesday night. In Santiago, Chile's General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) said the incident “will be investigated by the New Zealand Accident Investigation Commission”.

Aviation Safety Specialist Joe Hadley Technical problems are not uncommon in modern aviation, he told AFP.

“The flight log will be key to understanding the event. It will tell investigators whether it was an atmospheric phenomenon or a technical problem with the aircraft,” Hadley said.

“Air travel is a safe mode of transportation, but incidents like this demonstrate the absolute necessity for passengers to fasten their seat belts,” he noted.

Brian Jocutt, who was on the plane, said he saw another passenger hit the roof of the plane before falling and breaking his ribs on an armrest.

“He looked at me against the roof of the plane, on his back, with his head towards me. It was like an 'exorcist'Jocutt told RNZ, referring to a memorable scene from director William Friedkin's 1973 horror film.

Jogat added that once the plane landed, the pilot went to the back of the plane. “I asked him, 'What happened?' And he said, 'I lost my instrument for a while and then suddenly it came back.'

Boeing's problems

The safety of Boeing planes has come under scrutiny after a series of recent incidents. their flights 737 max They have been immobilized for nearly two years after two crashes involving Indonesian Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines in 2018 and 2019.

“We are working to gather more information from the aircraft and provide the necessary assistance,” the company said in a statement.

“Boeing is ready to support research-related activities as requested,” he said later.

In January, from the Boeing 737 Max Alaska AirlinesA door fell shortly after takeoff, causing several minor injuries.

Last week, a Boeing 777 bound for Japan made an emergency landing after takeoff San Francisco Due to detachment of a wheel.

US regulators this month gave the company 90 days to fix its quality control problems and urged it to commit to “profound and real improvements”.