50 People Injured After Boeing 777 Hit With Mid-Flight "Technical Event"
Update (0927ET):
Following the LATAM Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner mid-air incident on Sunday, flight tracking website RadarBox reports a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 777-306ER from Amsterdam to São Paulo has declared an emergency via Squawk code 7700 and is "currently diverting."
🚨KLM flight #KL791 from Amsterdam (AMS) to São Paulo (GRU) is declaring an emergency via Squawk 7700 and currently diverting: https://t.co/NiqasEfyWf ✈️ https://t.co/uHHdTBCkPk pic.twitter.com/lWwAzU0w5W
— RadarBox (@RadarBoxCom) March 11, 2024
Squawk code 7700 is a general emergency. There are no reasons yet why pilots declared the emergency.
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Following a series of incidents involving Boeing aircraft in the US last week, a South American LATAM Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner en route from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, encountered a "technical event" that led to significant turbulence, which injured at least 50 passengers.
LATAM told AP News that Flight LA800, involving a 787-9 Dreamliner, experienced a "technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement" but did not elaborate further on the incident. The local newspaper, the New Zealand Herald, explained that the plane suddenly lost altitude.
🚨🇳🇿UPDATE: 50 INJURED ON LATAM BOEING FLIGHT
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 11, 2024
Emergency services in New Zealand treated 50 people for injuries after passengers and crew were thrown into the ceiling, with one person in a serious condition.
Source: NZ Herald https://t.co/qPP0CriFSl pic.twitter.com/fgKbT7tFow
After the 787-9 Dreamliner landed, local ambulance services in Auckland treated 50 people for mild injuries, and 13 were taken to local area hospitals.
LATAM said in a statement to the New Zealand Herald: "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."
The statement continued: "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."
