More than a dozen people were hospitalized after a LATAM Airlines jet experienced “violent movement.”
Dozens of people were injured in what authorities described as “violent movement” on a Chilean flight from Australia to New Zealand.
Chilean LATAM Airlines claimed in a statement on Monday that the injury was caused by a “technical event that caused violent movements during the flight.” It's just the latest in a series of safety-related incidents involving Boeing aircraft.
When the LATAM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner landed in Auckland, passengers were greeted by paramedics. The cause of the incident was not immediately clear.
About 50 people were treated at the scene, most with minor injuries. An ambulance spokeswoman said 12 people were taken to hospital, one of whom is believed to be in a serious condition.
It's been a tumultuous week for the American aircraft manufacturer, with a series of safety-related issues.
On March 4, a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing in Houston, Texas, shortly after takeoff due to an engine fire. United Airlines said the engine ingested some of the bubble wrap that was on the airfield prior to departure.
Two days later, smoke in the cabin of a Boeing 737-800 forced the plane to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.
A tire fell off a Boeing 777-200 after takeoff in San Francisco on Thursday, severely damaging a car. The plane was bound for Japan, but changed its destination and landed safely in Los Angeles.
The next day, a Boeing 737 MAX fell off the runway in Houston and became stuck in the grass.
This week's events come as the U.S. aircraft manufacturer is still reeling from the effects of a near-catastrophic accident in January in which a fuselage panel on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 Alaska Airlines jet was blown off mid-flight.
In Monday's incident, passengers arriving in Auckland told local media that the plane quickly lost altitude, throwing unsecured passengers toward the ceiling.
“People went flying because they weren't wearing their seatbelts,” a passenger told radio network RNZ.
“Some people were seriously injured. People were really scared,” the man said, his voice shaking.
Flight LA800 landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled and was scheduled to head to Santiago, Chile.