50 injured by ‘strong shake’ on flight from Australia to New Zealand

A “strong shake” injured at least 50 people Monday on a flight bound from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand, according to LATAM Airlines and multiple reports.

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The incident happened on LATAM Airlines flight LA800, which was set to continue on to Santiago, Chile, after arriving in Auckland on Monday. Officials said the plane, which was carrying 263 passengers and nine flight and cabin crew members, “experienced a strong shake whose causes are being investigated.”

Brian Jokat, a passenger on the flight, told BBC News that the plane dropped unexpectedly midflight, leaving some with head injuries and throwing people out of their seats. Several passengers were not wearing their seatbelts at the time of the incident, The Associated Press reported.

Jokat told BBC News that the plane “unannounced just dropped” about two-thirds of the way through Monday’s flight.

“I mean it dropped unlike anything I’ve ever experienced on any kind of minor turbulence, and people were thrown out of their seats, hit the top of the roof of the plane, throwing down the aisles,” he said. “It was madness. Madness.”

The plane, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, landed as scheduled at Auckland Airport, the AP reported. Boeing officials told The Wall Street Journal they “are working to gather more information about the flight,” adding that they “will provide any support needed by our customers.”

Officials with New Zealand ambulance service Hato Hone St. John told the Journal that 50 people were assessed and treated for injuries after the plane landed in Auckland, including one person who was in serious condition. Airline officials said 10 passengers and three cabin crew members were taken to a hospital after the incident.

“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,” the airline said in a statement.

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