A Boeing 787 Dreamliner nosedived during a flight on Monday, injuring at least 50 passengers, possibly due to movement of the pilot’s seat, an aviation publication reported.

The LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, suddenly “frozen” in mid-air and free-falled, throwing passengers into the air and some hitting their heads on the ceiling.

The cockpit seat is now one of the focal points investigation into the incident, airflow According to the report, according to a senior airline safety official, it is understood that the seat movement was “caused by the pilot and was not intentional.”

“The seat movement caused the nose of the aircraft to point down,” the publication quoted another anonymous source, who added that the possibility of an electrical short circuit was also under review.

Boeing is expected to release information to 787 operators regarding the incident. airflow There are reportedly indications that there may be issues involving the entire fleet, although the source said it was unclear what the specific subject of the message was.

It is the latest in a series of incidents that have come under scrutiny for US aircraft giant Boeing, including a door jam blowing off an Alaska Airlines 737 in January.

when asked to comment airflow Boeing told the report I It will be subject to the opinions of aviation safety investigators.

It added in a statement: “We are thinking of the passengers and crew on board flight LA800 and we commend everyone involved in the response.

“We are in contact with our customers and Boeing stands ready to support activities related to the investigation as requested.”

Chile’s aviation regulator is leading the investigation as it involves a Chilean airline flying in international airspace. The regulator said the investigation was “just beginning” and investigators had arrived in New Zealand.

Latam said it “will continue to coordinate with the authorities and support the investigation,” adding that it would be inappropriate to comment on circulating speculation.

The reason for the apparent sudden change in the flight’s trajectory has not yet been explained. Safety experts say most aircraft accidents are caused by multiple factors and require thorough investigation.

Guy Gratton, Associate Professor of Aviation and Environment at Cranfield University I Despite a series of worrying incidents involving Boeing aircraft this week, Monday’s accident involving a 787 was an “accident.”

Professor Grattan said: “Boeing’s 737 Max series of aircraft have a special history, and although they come from the same company, their aircraft designs are completely different.

In 2018, a 737 Max 8 crashed in Indonesia, killing 189 people, and a few months ago another 737 Max 8 crashed in Kenya, killing 157 people.

“The Boeing 787 has an excellent safety record, so you don’t look at this plane and say, ‘Oh, no, not the other one.’ This was a very surprising accident,” Professor Gratton said.

He said the sudden plunge of the Auckland-bound 787 could have been caused by weather, a technical failure of the aircraft or improper operation by the crew.

New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Board said on Tuesday it was seizing the flight’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorders, which will provide information about conversations between the pilots and the plane’s movements.

Head for Points Aviation Editor Rhys Jones says I Recent events plaguing the American multinational company illustrate “a huge failing in Boeing’s safety culture.”

Mr Jones said there were “reasons” to question whether the 777X met the standards because of recent problems with the 737 and 787. The 777X will enter service next year and has been ordered by 11 airlines.

Despite this, Mr Jones believed it was safe to board the Boeing aircraft. “Boeing is under intense scrutiny right now,” he said, noting that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is “on everything” about Boeing.

The FAA is conducting a Boeing’s six-week audit After the Alaska Airlines incident, subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems said it “identified multiple instances of companies allegedly failing to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.” The U.S. Department of Justice is also conducting a criminal investigation related to the Alaska incident.

Boeing has not commented publicly on the investigation, but in January Chief Executive David Calhoun told market analysts he was determined to “earn back trust through clear action and a commitment to complete transparency.” He apologized to Alaska Airlines last month, saying: “Boeing is responsible for what happened. We caused the problem and we understand that.” In another communication with employees, he said “We have a lot of things going on. The need to demonstrate… starts with…listening to each other and speaking out”.

Mr Jones said “Boeing had sort of self-certified” before the fatal 737 crash.

“So they have [had] There was an agreement with the FAA that some of Boeing’s own employees would be involved in the certification process as a way to streamline the certification process,” he said. “In hindsight, that clearly led to all kinds of conflict-of-interest issues. “

“Obviously that’s not going to happen” because of increased scrutiny, he said.

“The FAA is taking a bigger role and is looking at basically everything Boeing does, so I think from a current safety standpoint, I think they’re very safe.

“But then again, that’s what we thought last year before the door issue.”

He said airplanes are “very complex machines, and producing an airplane is a very complex process, which has shown how strong it is and how stringent the safety must be because once something goes wrong, problems start to arise.”

Agency’s Supplementary Report