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Two of the passengers aboard a LATAM Airlines flight, which encountered a severe mid-air descent while en route to New Zealand, have shared their harrowing experiences with CNN.
Verónica Martínez, a passenger from Chile, recounted the terrifying moments: “The experience was horrible.” She detailed how normal flight conditions abruptly changed when the aircraft “kind of shut down – went down,” resulting in chaos inside the cabin with “people flying – things flying.” Martínez, who was buckled up, escaped injury and described the ordeal as akin to a “roller coaster.”
The incident involved LATAM Airlines flight 800 flying from Sydney to Auckland, which encountered a “technical event” leading to abrupt turbulence. Dozens suffered injuries in the unexpected drop, as reported by the airline.
Another passenger, Diego Valenzuela, described the terror of experiencing “for 3, 4 seconds, [it was] a free fall, and afterward, many were injured.” Both he and Martínez expressed a profound sense of relief upon returning to Chilean ground.
“My neighbour who was in the seat two over from me, there was a gap in between us, as soon as I woke I looked and he was on the ceiling and I thought I was dreaming,” Brian Adam Jokat, a Canadian citizen residing in the UK who was travelling on the plane, told Reuters.
Photos taken by Jokat after the incident showed damage sustained to the ceiling of the airplane where he said fellow passengers had hit it.
The exact number of passengers affected by Monday’s incident who were on the flight to Santiago remains unknown.
LATAM is based in Chile and the flight, which had 263 passengers and nine crew members, was due to continue on to Santiago after stopping in Auckland.
Chile’s aviation authorities have dispatched a team to Auckland to conduct a thorough investigation into the event. The Directorate General of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) of Chile stated that the team would analyze the aircraft’s flight recorders, known as black boxes, with assistance from a New Zealand technician.
Approximately 50 individuals received medical attention for their injuries after arriving in Auckland, with one reported in serious condition, as per Hato Hone St John Ambulance. LATAM Airlines has stated that affected passengers and crew were given immediate medical assistance and evaluations as necessary. However, the specifics of what caused the mid-air incident have yet to be disclosed.
(With inputs from agencies)
Verónica Martínez, a passenger from Chile, recounted the terrifying moments: “The experience was horrible.” She detailed how normal flight conditions abruptly changed when the aircraft “kind of shut down – went down,” resulting in chaos inside the cabin with “people flying – things flying.” Martínez, who was buckled up, escaped injury and described the ordeal as akin to a “roller coaster.”
The incident involved LATAM Airlines flight 800 flying from Sydney to Auckland, which encountered a “technical event” leading to abrupt turbulence. Dozens suffered injuries in the unexpected drop, as reported by the airline.
Another passenger, Diego Valenzuela, described the terror of experiencing “for 3, 4 seconds, [it was] a free fall, and afterward, many were injured.” Both he and Martínez expressed a profound sense of relief upon returning to Chilean ground.
“My neighbour who was in the seat two over from me, there was a gap in between us, as soon as I woke I looked and he was on the ceiling and I thought I was dreaming,” Brian Adam Jokat, a Canadian citizen residing in the UK who was travelling on the plane, told Reuters.
Photos taken by Jokat after the incident showed damage sustained to the ceiling of the airplane where he said fellow passengers had hit it.
The exact number of passengers affected by Monday’s incident who were on the flight to Santiago remains unknown.
LATAM is based in Chile and the flight, which had 263 passengers and nine crew members, was due to continue on to Santiago after stopping in Auckland.
Chile’s aviation authorities have dispatched a team to Auckland to conduct a thorough investigation into the event. The Directorate General of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) of Chile stated that the team would analyze the aircraft’s flight recorders, known as black boxes, with assistance from a New Zealand technician.
Approximately 50 individuals received medical attention for their injuries after arriving in Auckland, with one reported in serious condition, as per Hato Hone St John Ambulance. LATAM Airlines has stated that affected passengers and crew were given immediate medical assistance and evaluations as necessary. However, the specifics of what caused the mid-air incident have yet to be disclosed.
(With inputs from agencies)
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