Terror on the flight from Sydney

A passenger on a LATAM flight to Auckland has described how the plane “fell out of the sky” after a “forceful movement” injured 50 passengers.

After taking off from Sydney just before 11.30am on Monday, the Boeing 787-9 flew smoothly for the first two hours before the crash, while the uncaught passengers and crew climbed aloft.

The plane’s video shows passengers rushing to help a man who was ejected from his seat and hit the roof of the plane.
Footage captured by Brian Jocat on board Latham flight from Sydney to Auckland when it hit severe turbulence and injured 50 people. Photo: Brian Jokat

A passenger was injured on a Latam flight from Sydney to Auckland. Photo: Brian Jokat

Screams were heard during the ordeal and one passenger said he couldn’t tell whether the red marks splattered all over the plane were red wine or blood.

Among the 13 passengers and crew, four Australian pilots were taken to Auckland hospitals after suffering avionics problems.

A Boeing 787 operated by LATAM Airlines – Photo: THE AUSTRALIAN

The other injured passengers were three crew members from New Zealand, Chile, Brazil and France.

LATAM said in a statement that the victims were among 272 people on board the eight-year-old Boeing 787-9.

The flight was about an hour from Auckland when it “experienced a severe shock, the cause of which is currently under investigation”.

14 ambulances met the flight with paramedics evaluating and treating about 50 people.

A LATAM statement said of those taken to hospital, “most were discharged shortly afterwards”.

“Only one passenger and one cabin crew member required additional attention, but none were life-threatening,” the statement said.

“LATAM is working in coordination with the relevant authorities to support the investigation into the incident.”

The Latham flight from Sydney to Auckland airport lost altitude, passengers and crew were “thrown into the ceiling”, 50 people were injured.

With the 787-9 expected to be out of service for some time, LATAM arranged for another aircraft to carry passengers on the second leg of the flight to Santiago, Chile.

The flight was due to depart Auckland at 8pm local time on Tuesday.

LATAM Airlines is the largest carrier in Latin America, created in 2012 after the merger of the Chilean airline LAN with the Brazilian carrier TAM.

LATAM customer Brian Jocat told The Australian that three-quarters of the way through the flight, the plane “suddenly went down”.

He said there were no turbulence announcements or announcements and many passengers were not wearing seat belts when the plane went down.

“People were sent from their seats directly to the tent. The boys were cut, bruised, beaten, and then made to lie on the floor,” Mr. Jokat said.

The passenger next to him had to get up, hit his ribs on the armrest, and tie the others around his neck.

Although the sudden drop in altitude did not last long, Mr. Jokat said passengers screamed in panic. “It didn’t really click until it hit the ground … another few seconds (without control) … we would have gone straight into the ocean, and that’s the stark reality of how close it came today.” »
Mr Jokat said he was half asleep when the plane “suddenly shook” and he opened his eyes to see his fellow passenger “on top of the plane”. Photo: Brian Jokat

After the plane landed, the pilot went to the back of the plane. Mr. Jokat asked what happened. “He said, ‘I don’t know, my instrument panel went over me for a second and I lost control of the plane,’” Mr Jokat said. “Then he said he was back again.”

Another passenger, Renata Mines, said it was a “scary movie” and she was “in shock”.

“Praise be to God who saved me from death… the plane began to fall freely. I climbed the hill, but I got out without a scratch,” he said in a post on Instagram.

Priscilla Waller-Subritzky told the NZ Herald she was watching a movie when the plane lost altitude and “several passengers and crew were thrown onto the roof of the plane”.

“I went into combat mode and jumped in and started helping where I could because the crew was injured and couldn’t help.”

Emergency crews were called to Auckland Airport after several people were reported injured on a flight from Sydney. At least 24 patients are believed to have been involved in the incident on LATAM LA flight 800, which took off from Sydney and landed in Auckland at around 4pm (local time) on Monday afternoon. The condition of eight people is moderately serious, and the condition of 16 people is light. Two patients were taken to Middlemore Hospital. A person on board the plane told the media that he had a slight fall during the flight.

Ms. Waller-Subritzky said she went to the emergency room after experiencing some pain. “I’ve been on a lot of flights before, but this one was out of the gate,” he said.

The LATAM airline said a “technical issue” was to blame for the “heavy traffic” during the flight. “LATAM regrets the inconvenience and injury this incident has caused to passengers and reiterates its commitment to ensure safety within its operational standards,” the statement said.

A spokesman for Hato Hone Saint John Ambulance said they were alerted to the incident on the incoming flight 30 minutes before landing and dispatched 14 units to the airport in response.

“These are seven ambulances, two emergency response vehicles, a command unit and two main disaster support team vehicles,” he said. .
A United Airlines flight bound for San Francisco returned to Sydney on Monday after experiencing mechanical problems. Image: FlightAware

“Twelve patients were taken to hospital, 10 of whom were taken to Middlemore Hospital, including one in a critical condition.

“One patient was taken to Auckland City Hospital in moderate condition and one to Starship Hospital in moderate condition.”

As a result, the next leg of the flight to Santiago was cancelled, with a new service scheduled for Tuesday evening.

“LATAM will provide food and accommodation to the affected passengers,” the spokesperson said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been made aware of the incident, but any investigation is likely to be carried out by the New Zealand Road Accident Investigation Board.
Latham’s flight from Sydney to Auckland was damaged. Photo: Brian Jokat

Another airline incident on Monday was caused by a mechanical problem United Airlines The Boeing 777-300 was en route from Sydney to San Francisco. The midday flight was about 400 miles away when the pilots reported a hydraulic problem to air traffic control. The flight was completed within approximately 2.5 hours of takeoff back to sydney, aviation firefighting and rescue teams are welcoming.

It is understood the 777-300 will be grounded until engineers are satisfied it is safe to return to the skies.

The ATSB is gathering more information, but it is too early to say whether an investigation will be launched.

The LATAM incident once again highlighted the importance of wearing seat belts when flying. In January, passengers a Alaska Airlines flight During takeoff, the door handle exploded and escaped serious injury because everyone was wearing seat belts at the time. By contrast, a dozen passengers on an Emirates flight from Perth to Dubai were injured in December when an A380 encountered unexpected turbulence.