Boeing and LATAM Airlines cooperate in investigation of New Zealand flight incident, conflicting reports emergeNew Zealand investigators seize flight recorder from Boeing plane after sudden drop leaves passengers injured

Investigators in New Zealand have taken control of the flight recorder from a LATAM plane manufactured by Boeing, as they try to determine the cause of a sudden drop that left numerous passengers injured.

The incident, which occurred on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner traveling from Sydney to Auckland on Monday night, caught passengers completely off guard, causing some to be thrown out of their seats and others to hit the cabin ceiling.

This is just the latest in a series of safety incidents involving Boeing, attracting widespread attention. Both Boeing and LATAM Airlines, based in Chile, have assured authorities that they will cooperate fully in the investigation into the unspecified "technical event."

However, initial inquiries have been muddied by conflicting reports from Chilean and New Zealand's safety agencies, with each suggesting the other is leading the investigation.

New Zealand's accident investigators have confirmed that they have begun collecting evidence, which includes seizing the cockpit voice and flight data recorders. However, they have also stated that the investigation is ultimately the responsibility of Chile.

Veronica Martinez, a sales administrator on the flight, described it as feeling like the plane had come to a sudden stop in mid-air before plunging downwards.

Emergency services were quickly dispatched to Auckland Airport to meet the incoming flight, with over a dozen ambulances and other medical vehicles rushing to the scene. According to paramedics, around 50 passengers required treatment, with four remaining in hospital as of Tuesday morning.

Despite the incident, the flight arrived on schedule, according to a statement from LATAM. One passenger, Brian Jokat, even managed to speak with one of the pilots after landing.

Air accident safety investigator Joe Hattley told AFP that technical issues are rare in modern aircraft, while Ashok Poduval, a former commercial airline pilot and current CEO of the Massey University School of Aviation, described the event as an extremely uncommon "black swan event."

Flight data from FlightAware shows that the plane began losing altitude approximately two hours into the three-hour flight. However, it is unclear if this was part of the normal descent into Auckland.

In a statement, Boeing stated that they are ready to assist with the investigation as needed. The company has faced a string of safety problems in recent years, including the fatal crashes of 737 MAX planes operated by Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines in 2018 and 2019, claiming the lives of over 350 people.

In January, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 Alaska Airlines jet experienced a near-catastrophic incident when a fuselage panel blew off mid-flight in the United States. Last week, a Boeing 777 jetliner flying to Japan was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff from San Francisco when a wheel fell off and landed in an airport parking lot, causing damage to several cars.

In response to these incidents, US regulators have given Boeing 90 days to develop a plan to address quality control issues. The head of the Federal Aviation Administration has stated that the company must commit to significant improvements.

Boeing's share price has fallen by 25% since the beginning of the year. Aviation consultant Tim Collins commented on the situation, saying that while Boeing has faced some production issues, most of their aircraft are still reliable. He also noted that Boeing makes up around half of the global jet fleet.

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