Incident onboard LA800, SYD-AKL, 11 March 2024 -50 injured, several taken to hospital
Mar 11, 2024, 3:09 am
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Incident onboard LA800, SYD-AKL, 11 March 2024 -50 injured, several taken to hospital
The LATAM flight so Auckland experienced a "technical error" and entered a sudden dive. Passengers onboard reported a period of weightlessness. There was no turbulence at the time and those not seated with their belts fastened were tossed around the cabin, along with everything else that wasn't fastened.
The ongoing service to Santiago has been cancelled.
The ongoing service to Santiago has been cancelled.
Originally Posted by ABC News
Fifty people injured after 'technical problem' on LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland
By Emily Clark
About 50 people have been injured after a technical problem on a LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland.
Thirteen people have been transported to hospital so far after being assessed and treated at the scene.
LATAM Airlines confirmed flight LA800 had a "technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement".
"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," the airline said in a statement.
By Emily Clark
About 50 people have been injured after a technical problem on a LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland.
Thirteen people have been transported to hospital so far after being assessed and treated at the scene.
LATAM Airlines confirmed flight LA800 had a "technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement".
"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," the airline said in a statement.
Originally Posted by Radio New Zealand
A passenger two seats away from him was not wearing his seatbelt, and flew up and hit the ceiling, Jokat said.
"I thought I was dreaming. I opened my eyes and he was on the roof of the plane on his back, looking down on me. It was like The Exorcist."
The man then fell back to the floor, breaking his ribs on his arm rest, Jokat said.
People were injured after a 'technical issue' on board a LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland sent passengers flying through the cabin.Some passengers had head injuries, while others were put into neck braces by paramedics. Photo: Supplied/Brian Jokat
Three or four other people had hit the ceiling too, breaking some of the plane's interior with their heads and shoulders, he said.
"Then people just started screaming. I felt the plane take a nosedive - it felt like it was at the top of a rollercoaster, and then it flattened out again."
The incident took "split seconds", Jokat said.
<snip>
Jokat said the pilot came to the back of the plane once the plane landed.
"I asked him 'what happened?' and he said to me 'I lost my instrumentation briefly and then it just came back all of a sudden'.
"I know he felt really bad for everyone."
Another passenger, Valentina, said the plane "just stopped" about 50 minutes out of Auckland.
"People were flying around and everything was super scary," she said.
"Blood was on the ceiling, people [flew] and broke the ceiling of the plane."
"I thought I was dreaming. I opened my eyes and he was on the roof of the plane on his back, looking down on me. It was like The Exorcist."
The man then fell back to the floor, breaking his ribs on his arm rest, Jokat said.
People were injured after a 'technical issue' on board a LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland sent passengers flying through the cabin.Some passengers had head injuries, while others were put into neck braces by paramedics. Photo: Supplied/Brian Jokat
Three or four other people had hit the ceiling too, breaking some of the plane's interior with their heads and shoulders, he said.
"Then people just started screaming. I felt the plane take a nosedive - it felt like it was at the top of a rollercoaster, and then it flattened out again."
The incident took "split seconds", Jokat said.
<snip>
Jokat said the pilot came to the back of the plane once the plane landed.
"I asked him 'what happened?' and he said to me 'I lost my instrumentation briefly and then it just came back all of a sudden'.
"I know he felt really bad for everyone."
Another passenger, Valentina, said the plane "just stopped" about 50 minutes out of Auckland.
"People were flying around and everything was super scary," she said.
"Blood was on the ceiling, people [flew] and broke the ceiling of the plane."
Last edited by irishguy28; Mar 11, 2024 at 3:24 am
Mar 11, 2024, 4:36 pm
#4
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I find it really hard to believe that this plane which has been flying without incidents for 9 years now magically displays a nosedive like this. Not impossible, but highly unlikely.
In order of likelihood, IMHO:
1) Human error
2) CAT
3) Microburst
4) Technical issue
In order of likelihood, IMHO:
1) Human error
2) CAT
3) Microburst
4) Technical issue
Mar 11, 2024, 10:26 pm
#5
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While of course this is only one media report, it doesn't seem like LATAM handled the communication nor "pastoral" care of the passengers very well.
According to the article"The shaken passengers were given a single McDonald’s cheeseburger while waiting at the terminal once the plane landed and were not fed again until this morning.
Azevedo said Latam had not offered passengers help or support following the incident, and they were dissatisfied with the communication they had received from the airline."
Now of course I doubt Latam had anyone in Auckland to deal with this but I hope they dont try and cover this up
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/passen...GRZ5TZJY36IHA/
According to the article"The shaken passengers were given a single McDonald’s cheeseburger while waiting at the terminal once the plane landed and were not fed again until this morning.
Azevedo said Latam had not offered passengers help or support following the incident, and they were dissatisfied with the communication they had received from the airline."
Now of course I doubt Latam had anyone in Auckland to deal with this but I hope they dont try and cover this up
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/passen...GRZ5TZJY36IHA/
Mar 12, 2024, 12:03 am
#6
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Watching on CNN as Brian Jokat, a pax, claims the pilot said he "lost gauges" and couldn't control the plane for just a moment.
I'm quite suspicious.
A 787 in normal flight suddenly loses instrumentation...and THAT somehow causes a massive, sudden drop and nose-down dive?
Seems a much more logical explanation is that the pilot flying somehow disconnected the autopilot and shoved the yoke forward for some reason.
I'm quite suspicious.
A 787 in normal flight suddenly loses instrumentation...and THAT somehow causes a massive, sudden drop and nose-down dive?
Seems a much more logical explanation is that the pilot flying somehow disconnected the autopilot and shoved the yoke forward for some reason.
Mar 12, 2024, 2:22 am
#7
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Watching on CNN as Brian Jokat, a pax, claims the pilot said he "lost gauges" and couldn't control the plane for just a moment.
I'm quite suspicious.
A 787 in normal flight suddenly loses instrumentation...and THAT somehow causes a massive, sudden drop and nose-down dive?
Seems a much more logical explanation is that the pilot flying somehow disconnected the autopilot and shoved the yoke forward for some reason.
I'm quite suspicious.
A 787 in normal flight suddenly loses instrumentation...and THAT somehow causes a massive, sudden drop and nose-down dive?
Seems a much more logical explanation is that the pilot flying somehow disconnected the autopilot and shoved the yoke forward for some reason.
Does anyone know if the Chile authorities have a good track record in investigating crashes impartially? Especially with LATAM being such an important company
Mar 12, 2024, 4:10 am
#9
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I've been thinking the same, re the unlikelihood that a technical fault would result in the aircraft entering the kind of super violent nosedive that would pin passengers to the ceiling (which sounds much more like clear air turbulence than anything). But this puts a different (possible) spin on it for me, along with the possibility of a cover-up (initially by the pilot(s), then possibly by the airline).
Will be interesting to see what they announce after their 'investigation'. Surely there are various data recordings available?
Mar 12, 2024, 4:15 am
#10
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Now of course I doubt Latam had anyone in Auckland to deal with this but I hope they dont try and cover this up
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/passen...GRZ5TZJY36IHA/
unclear if the limited partnership with QF at this stage would help them also?
Mar 12, 2024, 4:25 am
#11
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[mod edit] … New Zealand and Australia are usually very transparent in their investigations. Shouldn’t they be leading the investigation since this is a fifth freedom flight?
Last edited by l etoile; Mar 13, 2024 at 11:27 am Reason: comment launched a series of posts about the Chilean government
Mar 12, 2024, 5:26 am
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Chile's DGAC has asked NZ's TAIC to assist in the investigation, and the latter has already seized the CVR and FDR.
Mar 12, 2024, 8:04 am
#13
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Not saying that this is what happened, but in the past testing revealed that the 787 could lose all power due to a software bug:
https://availabilitydigest.com/publi...power_loss.pdf
And it also includes this FAA statement:
https://availabilitydigest.com/publi...power_loss.pdf
In lab testing years after its first delivery of 787s, Boeing discovered a software error in the generator control unit. The error could result in a total loss of electrical power to the aircraft, even in flight. The condition occurred if electrical power were left on for about eight months without being turned off. More specifically, the problem became existent on the 248th day of continuous electrical power.
We are issuing this AD to prevent loss of all AC electrical power, which could result in loss of control of the airplane. If the four main generator control units (associated with the engine-mounted generators) were powered up at the same time, after 248 days of continuous power, all four GCUs will go into failsafe mode at the same time, resulting in loss of all AC electrical power regardless of flight phase.
Mar 12, 2024, 11:56 am
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Except that plane had a side stick, and Boeings have yokes. So it wouldn't be quite the same as the RAF incident.
Mar 13, 2024, 8:14 pm
#15
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Some more news out today: Pilot seat movement at center of LATAM 787-9 dive investigation - The Air Current