Editorial: Cause of terrifying Latam incident needs to be found quickly

The mid-air plunge that terrified passengers on a Latam Airlines flight and the subsequent shabby treatment of passengers is an extreme example of the new reality of flying.

Airlines celebrate the launch of new products, food and uniforms with great fanfare, but when it comes to fronting up on safety issues, most are much less forthcoming.

Latam’s Australian PR agency released a brief statement about the incident on the Sydney to Auckland flight, saying it had a technical problem during the flight which “caused a strong movement. Latam regrets the inconvenience and injury this situation may have caused its passengers”.

One passenger described the terrifying experience more graphically, saying the sight of people flying through the air and hitting the cabin ceiling was like a scene from The Exorcist. About 50 people were hurt and 12 needed hospital treatment, some with serious injuries.

The same passenger reported a shocked pilot telling him control of the packed aircraft had been lost after instruments went dark.

Traumatised passengers were offered accommodation and food, including a voucher for a burger, but little other support. Many had to reboard the onward flight to Santiago the following day while likely still in shock.

Latam doesn’t have a presence in New Zealand, so the lack of support is understandable but no less acceptable. It touches down to pick up more Chile-bound passengers exercising its fifth-freedom rights to top up planes on which fares are notoriously high and yields strong. That’s because it has the route to itself.

Since the pandemic, most airlines have enjoyed a strong rebound in profit built on high fares, especially on routes they dominate. This at a time when service levels have slipped in many cases.

The Latam incident happened about two-thirds of the way into the transtasman flight, in international airspace.

Under the International Convention on Aviation, the Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil (DGAC) - the Chilean accident investigation authority - is responsible for investigating the accident and has requested help from New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission.

The commission has seized the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from the 8-year-old plane.

The National Transportation Safety Board in the United States could become involved as that’s the base of Boeing, which is facing other safety investigations into its troubled 737 Max. A former head of that agency has warned the apparent instrument blackout on LA800 could become a “major issue” for the 1100 Dreamliners flying around the world now.

Air New Zealand has 14 of them and another eight on order.

Speculation is mounting a Dreamliner glitch identified nine years ago could be responsible for the Latam incident. Airlines operating the planes were then advised to shut down and then restart the planes every three months after tests by Boeing exposed a problem that could cause them to lose all electrical power and a loss of control.

Boeing is saying little about Monday’s incident. A spokesman said it was in contact with Latam, and “Boeing stands ready to support investigation-related activities as requested”.

The pressure is on investigators to find the cause of the problem quickly and communicate their findings clearly.