Large emergency response at Auckland Airport after ‘inflight incident’

LATAM BOEING 787-9 CC-BGD (MSN 35322)

A technical problem that caused a sudden drop aboard an international flight to Auckland Airport yesterday afternoon has injured 50 passengers - with several transported to hospital after landing. More than 10 St John vehicles rushed to the airport after they were notified at 3.58pm on Monday of an incident onboard Chilean airline LATAM.

St John crews treated approximately 50 patients, with one patient in a serious condition and the remainder in a moderate to minor condition. 13 patients had to be transported to Middlemore Hospital by ambulance.

The aircraft in question was Latam Airlines flight LA800 from Sydney (SYD/YSSY) to Auckland (AKL/NZAA), which encountered a “technical problem” that caused strong movement.

According to passengers, the plane just dropped. People were thrown out of their seats, hit the top of the roof of the plane, and people throw down the aisles." Another passenger said there were even "blood coming from several people's head.

“The plane landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled. As a result of the incident, some passengers and cabin crew were affected. They received immediate assistance and were evaluated or treated by medical staff at the airport as needed,” an airline spokesperson told the Herald.

“Latam regrets the inconvenience and injury this situation may have caused its passengers and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards.”

St John sent four ambulances, two operations managers, one major incident support team vehicle, one command unit and two rapid response vehicles to the scene. One woman onboard the flight said she experienced a “quick little drop” during the flight.

The passenger said she saw “at least” five people being taken away by waiting paramedics after landing and was pleased to have made it safely to New Zealand. She said she was unaware of how serious the incident was for other passengers.

Additional ambulances were also responding to the incident.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Latam Airlines

Code: LA/LAN

Aircraft: Boeing 787-9

Registration: CC-BGG

Serial Number: 38461

Engines: 2 x RR Trent 1000

First Flew: 3rd December 2015

Age: 8.4 Years