After three consecutive accidents last week, a Boeing aircraft crashed again.
According to Xinhua News Agency, a Boeing 787-9 aircraft operated by Latam Airlines experienced technical problems on the 11th while flying from Sydney, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand. The aircraft shook violently, causing about 50 people on board to be injured, one of whom was seriously injured.
"People are flying back and forth in the cabin"
This flight, carrying 263 passengers and 9 crew members, took off from Sydney on Monday afternoon and had a three-hour journey. Although it landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled, the journey was not peaceful.
According to the recollection of the passengers on board, the plane made a sharp descent in the second hour of the flight, diving violently for a few seconds because many passengers did not fasten their seat belts, causing "people to fly back and forth in the cabin.".
"This landing is different from any kind of small air flow I have experienced, where people were thrown out of their seats, hit the cabin roof, and fell off the aisle," described a passenger claiming to be Valentina, which also resulted in some cabin roofs being damaged and stained with blood. She said that due to this terrible experience, she would be "very scared" to board the plane again.
After the incident, doctors and passengers on this flight provided bandages and neck braces for severely injured individuals.
The St. John's Emergency Center in Auckland stated that they received notification of the incident in the afternoon local time. Subsequently, five ambulances, one major event support vehicle, one command vehicle, and two rapid response vehicles rushed to Auckland International Airport.
St. John's Emergency Center stated, "Our ambulance staff evaluated and treated 50 patients, one of whom was in severe condition, and the others were in moderate to mild condition. So far, 13 patients have been taken by ambulance to Middlemore Hospital." As of Tuesday noon, four people are still in the hospital.
A rare "black swan" event
Latham Airlines, responsible for this flight, is a large aviation group composed of multiple countries in South America, headquartered in Santiago, Chile, operating regular routes between Sydney, Auckland, and major cities in South America.
According to information on the flight tracking website, the aircraft involved on Monday was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with flight number LA800.
This 8-year-old Boeing aircraft was flying from Sydney via Auckland to Santiago, Chile at the time.
Latham Airlines stated that as an alternative, a new flight to Chile will depart from Auckland on Tuesday.
The statement issued by the airline did not directly explain the cause of the incident, but only referred to the sudden landing turbulence as a "technical issue".
However, an aviation accident investigator stated that technical issues are rare in modern aircraft.
Former pilot and current Dean of the School of Aeronautics at Massey University in New Zealand, Ashok Poduval, compared this to an extremely rare "black swan" event.
He explained that malfunctions in the autopilot or unexpected clear air turbulence could lead to sudden drops and bumps. But whether it is an atmospheric event or an aircraft technology issue, the key lies in the clues provided by flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders.
The Chilean Civil Aviation Administration expressed regret over the experiences of the passengers involved in the statement, but also reiterated its commitment to air safety. In addition, the Chilean side has appointed an "accredited representative" to participate in the investigation in New Zealand.
Boeing stated that it is working hard to gather more information and will provide various support to airlines. This latest event has also caused Boeing's stock price to drop by about 3%. Since the beginning of this year, its stock price has fallen by 25%.
Federal Aviation Administration Director Mike Whittaker stated that the agency will cooperate with Australian or New Zealand authorities in conducting investigations. He also confirmed that the aircraft involved was manufactured in the United States.
Boeing Mystery
The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States reported last week that problems were found in the de icing system of Boeing's Dreamliner.
The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States says that if the seal is damaged, it may affect the engine intake of the Dreamliner and potentially cause serious damage to the aircraft. But the US government believes that this deficiency is not serious enough to require the "Dream" aircraft to be grounded.
As one of the most well-known aircraft manufacturers in the world, Boeing's quality issues are always of great concern. The recent frequent accidents on Boeing aircraft have also pushed it to the forefront of public opinion.
In January, a Boeing 737 MAX series aircraft operated by Alaska Airlines had its fuselage partially burst and its hatch detached, resulting in several injuries on board and grounding 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft across the United States. In just one week of March, United Airlines Boeing aircraft experienced three more accidents within five days, including engine fires, tire slippage, and runway slippage.
The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States banned Boeing from expanding the production of its best-selling 737 MAX narrow body aircraft in January this year, citing quality issues that were deemed unacceptable.
In fact, since 2018, new Boeing aircraft represented by the Boeing 737 MAX have experienced consecutive safety accidents, including crashes.
According to safety experts, most aircraft accidents are caused by a series of factors that require thorough investigation.
Strangely, amidst numerous mysteries, former Boeing employee John Barnett was found dead in the United States on the 9th. Barnett worked for Boeing for 32 years and retired in 2017. Until his death, he had been providing evidence for a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing.
On the other hand, the aviation safety crisis has also led to slow delivery of the new Boeing 737 MAX 10 model. Delta Airlines, which has ordered 100 aircraft of this type, said on the 10th that it speculates that Boeing may not be able to start delivering this new batch of aircraft until 2027.