On Monday, a Boeing 787 operated by South American airline LATAM crashed on its way from Sydney to Auckland, causing at least 50 injuries.
After the plane made an emergency landing, it was reported that seven ambulances and four emergency vehicles entered Auckland Airport for rescue. LATAM and the New Zealand Medical Services Organization confirmed that 10 passengers and 3 crew members have been taken to the hospital. One person was seriously injured, while the others suffered mild to moderate injuries.
LATAM stated in a statement that a technical issue occurred during the flight, resulting in severe shaking, but did not provide a detailed explanation of the situation. According to passengers and crew members, the plane suddenly fell and many people did not fasten their seat belts, causing some people to be thrown out of their seats.
Passenger Brian Jokat recalled that the plane suddenly crashed without any prior warning, which was completely different from the vibration that a typical plane would experience when encountering airflow. People were shaken off their seats, hit the top of the plane, and then thrown down the aisle.
He also added that the ceiling of the cabin broke due to people being thrown and hit, which also caused some people to bleed from head injuries.
Safety experts point out that most aircraft accidents are caused by multiple factors, and it is currently impossible to immediately determine the cause of the plane crash, and further thorough investigation is needed.
It's Boeing again
Due to this accident, LARAM stated that it has cancelled the subsequent flight on Monday to Santiago, Chile, and is expected to resume the flight after changing planes on Tuesday.
Boeing stated that it is working hard to gather more information and will provide any support to LATAM.
Federal Aviation Administration Director Mike Whitaker also responded that his department will cooperate with Australian or New Zealand authorities to investigate the accident. Given that the aircraft was manufactured in the United States, the US authorities will definitely closely monitor it.
Previously, Boeing was banned from producing the same series of aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States due to a cabin door explosion during the flight of a 737 MAX narrow body aircraft. Both the aviation industry and government agencies have questioned Boeing's quality control.
On Monday, US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg stated that due to multiple government investigations, Boeing needs to make significant changes around its safety and manufacturing quality. The US Department of Justice has also been involved in a criminal investigation into quality issues at Boeing.
The latest 787 aircraft crash is undoubtedly adding insult to injury for Boeing, and if there are quality issues with the Boeing aircraft, Boeing's situation will become even more difficult.