More passengers of LATAM Airlines flight LA800 have described the horror moment the Dreamliner suddenly lost altitude, sending people flying across the cabin.
Around 50 people were injured after the flight from Sydney to Santiago dropped during a technical problem en route to Auckland for a layover yesterday evening.
The flight had 263 passengers and nine flight and cabin crew members on board at the time of the incident.
Passenger Clara Azevedo told 1News they, "didn't know if we were going to make it or not – it was terrifying".
"It was a horror movie scene. I saw people fly to the roof, and then going down to the floor."
Injured passengers were treated after the flight landed in Auckland an hour later.
Twelve of the injured were taken to hospital, including Brazilian passenger Maria Ordália da Conceição, who fractured two of her ribs.
“I'm in so much pain,” she said. “I had to stay 12 hours at the hospital until everything was sorted and I was assisted.”
Another passenger, who had not been wearing his seatbelt at the time of the incident, "flew two seats back" from the sudden loss of altitude. “When I opened my eyes, I was on the floor,” Henrique Cidreira da Silva said.
In a statement, LATAM Airlines said the plane “experienced a strong shake during the flight” after a technical problem on board.
Chilean officials were now investigating the incident with help from New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC).
TAIC was currently in the process of gathering evidence, including the cockpit’s voice and flight data recorders.
Some passengers have been critical of the airline’s response, saying there was no communication about what had occurred on the flight.
Passenger Thais Iwamoto said they were simply told to remain seated until the plane landed. “When we got off the plane, they didn’t tell us anything,” she said.
Azevedo said she called LATAM Airlines twice, seeking further information.
"They were like 'oh, I don't know what happened'."
The passengers who spoke to 1News were originally meant to catch a second flight on the same aircraft to Chile last night but, atfter being put up in a hotel, the group were flying on another LATAM aircraft this evening.
Azevedo said she was "really considering getting the flight back to Australia" after their terrifying ordeal.
"I’m too scared to fly for another 11 hours with the same company."
As of this evening, four of the 12 passengers taken to hospital remained there in a moderate but stable condition.
A child was taken to Starship Hospital in a moderate condition, but their current status was not being disclosed due to privacy reasons.
SHARE ME