The 263 passengers and nine crew on board LATAM flight L800, between Sydney and Santiago de Chile, were fearing for their lives when the plane crashed before stopping in Auckland, New Zealand. He suddenly fell from an altitude of 41,000 feet to 40,692, or about 100 metres.According to what was recorded by Flightradar.
The accident resulted in the injury of about 50 people, one of whom was seriously injured, while the rest suffered minor and moderate bruises, wounds, and bruises.
Aviation authorities in Chile, home of LATAM Airlines, along with New Zealand's Air Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) have ordered the seizure Cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder To determine What happened? if it was “Technical fault” Causing Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner He rushed.
One witness says that when the plane landed in Auckland, the pilot told him that everything suddenly went out, and after a few seconds it came back on.
“My dashboard went black. It went off for about a second or two, then it came back on.”
“People on the roof and people flying”
Among the passengers on board the plane this Monday were those who asked the pilot Brian Adam Gucat, a 61-year-old Canadian traveler who lives in the UK when he's not traveling the world. He explains that he was asleep when he suddenly woke up and his partner was two seats away, on the roof of the cabin.
“I woke up and looked up and he was on the ceiling, and I thought I was dreaming. I looked up and he was lying upside down and looking at me. And I looked up and there was another man on the ceiling, and there were two people flying through the air, crossing the hallways…”
For a few moments that are difficult to measure, the plane fell into the void, and suddenly everything came back. Jokat then explains that whoever was above the float fell:
“They fell straight off the roof onto the seats and armrests…He was hit in the ribs and another guy was badly hurt in his arm, and another guy was hit in the head by the plastic ceiling panels that broke off, so you can see all the plane cables above.”
Fortunately for Jokat, when he was asleep, he was tied up and did not move from his window seat: “It was filled with red wine everywhere, and there were things all over the cabin, but other than that… people around me were screaming and screaming in pain and fear.” “.
another passenger, lucas elwood, He says that in his case he remained calm: “I helped provide first aid to whoever was near me.”
Another passenger told the newspaper: “Everything froze.” New Zealand HeraldWhich gathered many witnesses when they landed. Clara AzevedoThe 28-year-old said: “I thought we were about to die.” Jacob Thompson, a 33-year-old Australian, says he was stabbed in the head when his partner was “thrown into the hall”.
The nose of the vehicle came down and he looked out the window and thought, “Okay, that's it, you know: That's it, we're done,” Gokat says.
It wasn't turmoil
What they all seem to agree on is that the accident was caused by the company LATAM Airlines defines it as a 'strong shake' It was not the result of any disturbance. “We didn't feel disturbed,” Thompson says. It happened suddenly, Jokat adds: “There was no disturbance, there was nothing before, just a sharp decline.” The flight had been smooth until then, so “to everyone's surprise, many passengers were standing or stretching their legs,” he says.
The events took place in international airspace, and during the three-quarters of an hour flight to Auckland, the events continued in the same way, without any recurrence of panic. During this time, doctors and paramedics who were in the corridor, with first aid kits, provided first aid to the wounded, including crew members.
The condition of the wounded and their return to their homeland
In Auckland, 50 people were treated by emergency services 13 were transferred to different hospitals. Latam Airlines said there were 10 passengers – two New Zealanders, four Australians, two Brazilians, a Chilean and a Frenchman – and three crew members. Most of them have been laid off. Four of them were admitted with “serious” injuries. As reported by the New Zealand health authorities (Te Whatu Ora).
The L800 flight between Sydney and Santiago de Chile with a stop in Auckland is very popular, especially for the thousands of migrants from Latin America traveling to their home countries. For this reason, many passengers are still in transit and have been given accommodation in 10 hotels in the city.
This Tuesday, they set out to complete their journey home. Some are still deeply affected by Monday's fear, e.g Janet BakerWho lives in Peru, and who admitted that he couldn't sleep. He said it was Scared of having to fly Shortly after the incident, “But I have to get home.”. The same was said by Larry Reeve, a Colombian returning from leaving his family in Australia who was anxious about the trip: “But I have to get back to work.”
LATAM apologizes for the “inconvenience”
The company sent an apology letter to passengers “LATAM deeply regrets the inconvenience this situation may cause to its passengers, and affirms its commitment to safety as a priority within its operational standards.” But the message did not please some travelers, who told local media, such as Clara Azevedo They felt neglected. “They just gave us a hamburger from McDonald's.”
The company, currently, He did not talk about refunding the cost of the ticketonly willingness to bear expenses that were not covered, with evidence provided.
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