A Boeing 787 flight from Sydney to Auckland, Australia plunged suddenly, terrifying all on board, after a flight attendant serving a meal accidentally hit a switch on a pilot's seat, jamming it against the controls, regulators believe. Frightened passengers described the ordeal as being like a "scene from The Exocist" when the plane suddenly plunged, thrusting dozens of passengers into the ceiling of the cabin.
The Latam Airlines flight attendant inadvertently triggered the motorized pilot seat switch, which is supposed to be covered and not operated while a pilot is seated, while serving inflight meals.
Latam is based in Chili and stated the experience was a 'technical event during the flight which caused strong movement.'
The activation of the seat jolted the pilot forward into the controls, which caused the plane to nosedive.
The descent was described by some passengers, according to the Daily Mail, like a scene from the 'The Exorcist.'
Boeing sent out a memo to operators of the 787 airliners on Thursday urging an inspection of cockpit chairs for loose switch covers and also provided instructions on how to deactivate the motor to the pilot seat when needed.
"Closing the spring-loaded seat back switch guard onto a loose/detached rocker switch cap can potentially jam the rocker switch, resulting in unintended seat movement," stated the memo, obtained by The Wall Street Journal.
Boeing, who manufactures the aircraft, also said changes in the instruction manual are being considered. A Latam spokesperson said the company is cooperating with authorities in the ongoing investigation.
"We are in contact with our customer, and Boeing stands ready to support investigation-related activities as requested," Boeing said in a statement.
Up to 50 passengers were injured in the chaotic scenes, with 10 hospitalized with head and neck injuries and broken bones The incident is the latest in a string of aircraft malfunctions associated with Boeing jets.
A January incident on an Alaska Airlines flight that caused the emergency door to be sucked out of the plane is primary among them.
