At least 50 passengers on a flight from Sydney to Auckland on Monday were injured when the plane suddenly and unexpectedly dropped due to what the airline described as a ‘technical problem’.
The Hato Hone St John emergency response service sent a fleet of ambulances to Auckland Airport, including a command unit, rapid response vehicles and a major incident response vehicle after it received reports of a mass casualty event aboard LATAM flight LA800.
Health officials said one passenger was in a serious condition, while the rest had sustained moderate or minor injuries. At least 13 passengers and crew members have been transported to local hospitals and others were treated at the scene.
The LATAM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner departed Sydney at approximately 11:44 am on Monday for what should have been a routine flight across the ditch to Auckland.
The 8-year-old aircraft was flying at around 41,000 feet when passengers described how the aircraft seemingly just ‘dropped out of the sky’.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the South American airline said an unspecified ‘technical problem’ was behind the accident.
“The plane landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled. As a result of the incident, 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 airline told Kiwi media.
“Latam regrets the inconvenience and injury this situation may have caused its passengers and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards,” the statement continued.
Images taken from inside the plane showed extensive damage to the ceiling caused by passengers being thrown against the cabin. The aircraft is, however, still scheduled to operate the onward flight to Santiago on Monday evening/
LATAM operates a fifth freedom flight connecting Sydney and Auckland before continuing onto Santiago de Chile.
