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Earlier in the week, I wrote about LATAM flight LA800 from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) to Auckland Airport (AKL) encountered a technical issue this morning that injured over 50 passengers and sent 12 to the hospital. The Boeing 787-9 saw passengers thrown around the cabin and even hit the ceiling of the aircraft. This was initially called a “technical issue,” but a new theory says a flight attendant might have caused the incident.
Could a terrifying and dangerous nosedive on a LATAM flight have been cause by a flight attendant pressing a button on the back of the pilot's seat?
As Boeing alerts airlines of an “unintended seat movement” hazard, we take you inside a cockpit to show you what may have occurred pic.twitter.com/dU2KAEyZqX
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) March 16, 2024
The Wall Street Journal was the first news outlet to report:
A LATAM Airlines flight attendant hit a switch on the pilot’s seat while serving a meal, leading a motorized feature to push the pilot into the controls and push down the plane’s nose, these officials said. The switch has a cover and isn’t supposed to be used when a pilot is in the seat.”
Chile’s civil aviation agency flew to New Zealand to investigate the incident. The aircraft returned to Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL) where it was taken out of service while the investigation is underway.
Anthony’s Take: It will be interesting to see if this theory proves true. Boeing will be able to address this much easier than if screens were randomly shutting off (as was originally thought).
(Featured Image Credit: LATAM.)
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