A terrified passenger aboard a LATAM Airways Boeing jet described going through ‘the worst turbulence you could think of’ after dozens were flung from their seats mid-flight.
The flier, Lucas Ellwood, said that ‘everybody was terrified’ on board the flight from Sydney, to Auckland, New Zealand on Monday, with the latest catastrophe involving Boeing sending at least 10 to the hospital.
‘There were people whimpering all over, there were people injured all over,’ he told Good Morning America. ‘Everyone just hit the roof them fell to the ground.’
Others compared the chaotic scenes as reminiscent of something from ‘The Exorcist’, as reports indicate as many as 50 people were injured in the incident.
It is the latest in a string of aircraft malfunctions and in-flight faults involving Boeing jets, which has seen tens of billions wiped off the company’s market value following incidents such an emergency door blowing out of an Alaska Airlines jet in January.
Passengers aboard a LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney, to Auckland, New Zealand were flung to the ceiling amid ‘terrifying’ turbulence on Monday night
Up to 50 passengers were injured in the chaotic scenes, with 10 hospitalized with head and neck injuries and broken bones
One passenger described enduring ‘the worst form of turbulence you could think of’, as other likened dozens flying around the cabin to scenes from The Exorcist
The exact reason for the massive turbulence is still unclear, with LATAM Airways only saying in a statement that it came after a ‘technical event.’
Passengers reportedly suffered head and neck injuries as well as several broken bones, and the airliner said seven passengers and three cabin crew were hospitalized.
Although none are believed to have been seriously injured, passengers described how the flight went from calm to panicked in a flash.
Many had taken their seatbelts off as the journey was calm, before it suddenly dropped and shook with turbulence, sending many flying into the ceiling.
‘It was just like the worst form of turbulence you could think of,’ Ellwood said after.
Others described it as something out of a ‘horror movie’, and felt similar to a rollercoaster dropping without warning.
Despite the alarming incident, the Boeing 737-9 Dreamliner continued its journey as planned and landed in Auckland around 2 hours and 42 minute after takeoff.
An ambulance leaving Auckland International Airport after a number of passengers were injured
In a statement, LATAM Airways confirmed ‘some passengers and cabin crew were affected’, but did not elaborate on the cause of the incident.
‘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.’
A Boeing spokesperson told DailyMail.com: ‘We are working to gather more information about the flight and will provide any support needed by our customers.’
It is the latest in a string of terrifying incidents involving Boeing aircraft in recent months, including when a plug door panel burst out of an Alaska Airlines flight at 16,000 feet on January 5.
In that incident, over Portland, Oregon, passengers had their phones and clothes ripped off by the force of the turbulence, while the pilot made an emergency landing after frantically calling air traffic control.
Boeing’s market value dropped by as much as $36 billion in the wake of the Alaska Airlines incident, while some passengers have launched a $1 billion lawsuit against the company.
And in the past week, Boeing has suffered several repeat accidents that have seen its fleet of 737’s again come under mounting scrutiny.
On January 5, an emergency plug door blew out of an Alaska Airlines jet at 16,000ft, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon
Passengers had their phones and clothes ripped off by the force of the door blowout, with the incident sparking a lawsuit from the passengers while billions were wiped off Boeing’s market value
Last Monday, a United Airlines engine caught fire and burst into flames over Texas, with footage from passengers showing white-hot flashes streaming from the jet mid-flight.
The heart-stopping moment forced the pilot into an emergency landing just minutes into the journey to Fort Myers, Florida.
As passengers saw the flames emanating from one side of the jet, a crewmember admitted, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we realized something happened outside…’
Bubble-wrap being stuck in the mechanics was blamed on the incident, in which no injuries were reported.
On Thursday, a wheel fell from another jet shortly after takeoff in San Francisco, crushing several vehicles below in another near-miss that didn’t result in any injuries.
The 256lb wheel badly damaged a number of cars in the parking lot of San Francisco Airport, although thankfully no people were within the crash zone.
Heart-stopping video has caught the moment a Boeing jet’s engines exploded and burst into flames in the skies above Texas forcing an emergency landing
A 256lb wheel fell from another jet shortly after takeoff in San Francisco a week ago, crushing several vehicles below in another near-miss that didn’t result in any injuries
The next day, a United Airlines plane veered off the runway after landing in Houston, forcing an emergency evacuation onto the tarmac.
The aircraft suffered what is believed to be some form of gear collapse as it exited the runway at George Bush Airport, although the 160 passengers and six crew were not injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also revealed this month that it is probing a separate incident in February, when a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet suffered a ‘stuck’ rudder pedal.
The NTSB said in a preliminary report on the February 6 flight that the plane taxied to the gate at Newark Airport without incident and there were no injuries to the 161 passengers and crew.
It reported that the captain said that during the landing rollout, the rudder pedals did not move in response to ‘normal’ application of foot pressure while attempting to maintain the runway centerline.