Source: AFP
Boeing on Friday warned airlines flying its 787 Dreamliner model to inspect some cockpit switches after a New Zealand-bound LATAM plane crashed violently mid-flight, injuring dozens of passengers.
“The investigation into flight LA800 is ongoing and we are deferring the initial investigation of any potential findings,” a statement from the US aerospace giant said.
“We have taken the precautionary step of reminding 787 operators of a service bulletin issued in 2017 that included instructions to inspect and maintain switches on the flight deck seats,” Boeing said, adding: “We recommend that operators perform an inspection next maintenance opportunity. .”
Boeing regularly sends recommendations for its airplanes to its customers. But this involved a particularly dangerous incident.
Chilean airline LATAM was flying from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, on Monday when the plane suddenly plunged toward the earth, throwing unrestrained passengers from their seats and smashing some into the cabin roof.
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Fifty people were injured, of which 13 were hospitalized.
The airline on Tuesday attributed the accident to an unspecified “technical incident”.
However, the Wall Street Journal, citing US industry sources, reported on Friday that the incident was caused by the clumsiness of a crew member.
He said a flight attendant accidentally hit a switch on the pilot’s seat while serving a meal, causing a motorized feature to push the pilot into the controls and sharply push the plane’s nose down.
He said the switch is usually covered and not meant to be used when the pilot is in the seat.
Contacted by AFP in Chile, LATAM declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation. “From the beginning we have worked with the authorities to clarify this issue,” he added.
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Boeing also declined to comment.
For its part, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is convening a Corrective Action Review Board (CARB) made up of safety experts to study the issue “and provide feedback to Boeing”.
It added, “The process will include the revision of the 2017 service bulletin related to the switches on the pilots’ seats.”
Boeing has suffered a series of safety problems in recent years, including the fatal crashes of 737 MAX planes in 2018 and 2019 that killed more than 350 people and the near-catastrophic incident in January when a fuselage panel on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 Alaska Airlines jet ejected during flight.
Last week, a Japan-bound Boeing 777 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, damaging several cars.
US regulators earlier this month gave Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to address quality control issues, with the head of the Federal Aviation Administration saying the company must “commit to real and deep improvements”.
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Boeing’s share price has fallen 25% since the start of the year.
Source: AFP