Incident Overview
Description
LATAM flight LA800, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, CC-BGG, entered a sudden descent while cruising over the Tasman Sea. The flight continued to Auckland Airport (AKL), New Zealand. As a result, 3 cabin crew members and 10 passengers were injured to varying degrees (1 cabin crew member, 2 passengers were hospitalised due to the seriousness of their injuries). At the time of the occurrence, the aircraft was established at FL410. The left-hand cockpit seat initiated an involuntary forward movement. The recovery of the aircraft by the flight crew from the subsequent involuntary descent condition of approximately 400 feet did not exceed the positive or negative loads allowed by the manufacturer for this type of flight condition. Weather conditions and the lack of turbulence on the route at the time of the occurrence were not causal or contributing factors in the operation. In August 2024 the FAA’s issued an airworthiness directive to inspect the captain?s and first officer?s seats on 787-7, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes for missing or cracked rocker switch caps or for cracked switch cover assemblies within 30 days.
Source of Information
https://www.9news.com.au/national/dozens-injured-on-sydney-flight-to-new-zealand/c5866998-2119-46e2-9894-5b2b816b6f94, https://nypost.com/2024/03/11/world-news/at-least-50-injured-after-technical-problem-on-latam-flight-to-auckland-nz-herald/, https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/11/australia/new-zealand-latam-airlines-intl-hnk/index.html, https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/350209133/live-plane-just-suddenly-dropped-out-sky, https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/350212664/four-still-hospital-focus-investigation-plummeting-latam-flight-revealed, https://www.wsj.com/business/airlines/cockpit-mishap-might-have-caused-plunge-on-latam-boeing-787-ee3dd7b4?st=etkiol4jigvmh0s, https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-faa-adopts-safety-directive-boeing-787-planes-following-mid-air-dive-2024-08-19/, https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/CCBGG, https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/350253085/preliminary-report-plunging-latam-flight-la800-released, https://www.dgac.gob.cl/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SUCESO-DE-AVIACION-N%C2%B02052-24-V.2.pdfhttps://www.9news.com.au/national/dozens-injured-on-sydney-flight-to-new-zealand/c5866998-2119-46e2-9894-5b2b816b6f94, https://nypost.com/2024/03/11/world-news/at-least-50-injured-after-technical-problem-on-latam-flight-to-auckland-nz-herald/, https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/11/australia/new-zealand-latam-airlines-intl-hnk/index.html, https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/350209133/live-plane-just-suddenly-dropped-out-sky, https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/350212664/four-still-hospital-focus-investigation-plummeting-latam-flight-revealed, https://www.wsj.com/business/airlines/cockpit-mishap-might-have-caused-plunge-on-latam-boeing-787-ee3dd7b4?st=etkiol4jigvmh0s, https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-faa-adopts-safety-directive-boeing-787-planes-following-mid-air-dive-2024-08-19/, https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/CCBGG, https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/350253085/preliminary-report-plunging-latam-flight-la800-released, https://www.dgac.gob.cl/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SUCESO-DE-AVIACION-N%C2%B02052-24-V.2.pdfPrimary Cause
Involuntary forward movement of the left-hand cockpit seat during a sudden descent.Involuntary forward movement of the left-hand cockpit seat during a sudden descent.Share on:
