Boeing’s woes continue as 50 injured on Australia-New Zealand flight
A dozen were hospitalised after the LATAM Airlines plane experienced ‘strong movement’.
Published On 11 Mar 2024
Dozens of people have been injured by what officials described as a “strong movement” on a Chilean flight from Australia to New Zealand.
In a statement on Monday, Chilean LATAM Airlines blamed the injuries on “a technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement”. It is just the latest in a series of safety-related incidents to feature a Boeing plane.
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Passengers were met by paramedics when the LATAM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner touched down in Auckland. It was not immediately clear what caused the incident.
About 50 people were treated at the scene, mostly for mild injuries. Twelve were taken to hospital, an ambulance spokesperson said, with one believed to be in serious condition.
It is been a turbulent week for Boeing, with the US plane maker suffering a series of safety-related issues.
On March 4, an engine fire forced a Boeing 737 to make an emergency landing in Houston, Texas shortly after takeoff. United Airlines said the engine ingested some plastic bubble wrap that was on the airfield prior to departure.
Two days later, fumes in the cabin of a Boeing 737-800 forced an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.
On Thursday, a tyre fell off a Boeing 777-200 after takeoff in San Francisco, destroying a car. The plane was bound for Japan but diverted to Los Angeles where it landed safely.
A day later, a Boeing 737 MAX rolled off the runway in Houston and got stuck in grass.
The events this week come as the US plane maker is still reeling from a near catastrophic incident in January when a fuselage panel on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 Alaska Airlines jet blew off mid-flight.
In the incident on Monday, passengers arriving in Aukland told local media that the plane quickly lost altitude, flinging those unsecured towards the ceiling.
A passenger told radio network RNZ that “people flew through the air because they weren’t wearing their seatbelts”.
“Some people got pretty injured. People were really scared as well” the man said, his voice shaking.
Flight LA800 landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled and was set to continue to Santiago, Chile.
Source: News Agencies