At least 50 people injured on board Boeing 787 after LATAM plane ‘suddenly falls and freezes’ during flight from Australia
FIFTY people were injured on board a Boeing plane when it “fell” mid-flight, with thirteen of them rushed to hospital.
One passenger on the Sydney to Auckland flight who suddenly “froze” is in serious condition.
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A large number of emergency vehicles rushed to Auckland Airport after passengers and crew were injured in the bizarre incident.
A woman on board said she felt a “quick drop” during the flight.
She told me New Zealand herald: “I was a flight attendant and this is the first time I ever… froze the whole plane”.
And she said “at least” five people were taken away by paramedics waiting on the tarmac.
LATAM airlines admitted that a “strong movement” was caused during the trip after a “technical problem”.
The LA800 flight took place on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on Monday.
Boeing has become the focus of increasingly worrying reports in recent months due to malfunctions on its planes.
Just yesterday a A criminal investigation has been launched to investigate how the jet door was opened of a Boeing 737-9 Max was blown out at 16,000 feet.
Saw the surreal failure in January a fuselage panel was torn off in mid-air causing the plane to make an emergency landing Portland, Oregon.
And last week, a wheel fell from a packed Boeing plane during takeoff at an airport San Francisco.
Two other Boeing 737 MAXs were involved in fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.
St John’s Ambulance said today: “Our ambulance crews assessed and treated approximately 50 patients, with one patient in a serious condition and the remainder in a moderate to mild condition.
“To date, 13 patients have been transported to Middlemore Hospital by ambulance.”
Firefighters and four ambulances were among the many emergency services that rushed to treat the injured.
Previously, St John’s said: “We were notified at 3.58pm and are currently on scene with four ambulances, two operations managers, a Major Incident Support Team vehicle, a command unit and two rapid response vehicles.”
Ambulances were still leaving the airport at 6pm on Monday evening.
A LATAM spokesperson said: “The aircraft landed at Auckland Airport as planned.
“As a result of the incident, some passengers and cabin crew were affected.
“They received immediate assistance and, if necessary, were evaluated or treated by medical personnel at the airport.”
LATAM added that it “regrets the inconvenience and harm this situation may have caused its passengers, and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards.”
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