Twelve passengers were hospitalized on Monday after technical problems caused a sudden turbulence on a LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland, airlines and first responders told AFP on Monday.
At least one person has been seriously injured after flight LA800 reportedly encountered difficulties over the Tasman Sea.
Passengers told local media that the plane quickly lost altitude, throwing those who were not wearing seat belts into the ceiling.
One passenger told Radio New Zealand that “people were flying into the air because they weren’t wearing seat belts”.
“Some people are seriously injured and scared,” the man said with a trembling voice.
A spokesman for the Chile-based airline said a “technical incident that occurred during the flight” “caused strong fluctuations.”
They added: “The aircraft landed at Auckland Airport as planned”.
It’s unclear what caused the incident.
Gerald Campbell of New Zealand’s St John Ambulance Service said paramedics were aware of the problem when the plane landed in New Zealand’s largest city.
A phalanx of more than a dozen ambulances and other medical vehicles rushed to the scene to treat the injured.
“Our ambulance crews evaluated and treated approximately 50 patients, including one patient who was in serious condition and the remaining patients who were in moderate to mild condition,” Campbell said.
“Twelve patients were taken to hospital,” he said, down from 13 previously.
LATAM Airlines said the plane involved was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
U.S. planemaker Boeing has faced a series of safety issues in recent years, including fatal crashes involving its 737 MAX aircraft at Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines.
Boeing is still reeling from a near-catastrophic accident in January when a fuselage panel exploded on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft mid-flight.
LATAM “deeply regrets any inconvenience and discomfort this situation may cause,” the airline said.
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