Boeing pilots warned to check cockpit seats after plane ‘froze’ mid-air

Passengers were injured after the LATAM Airlines jet suddenly froze (Credits: AFP)

Boeing has urged airlines to check the switches on their pilots’ seats after dozens of passengers were injured when the plane suddenly dropped mid-air.

The aerospace giant’s warning comes only days after a LATAM Airlines flight froze mid-air between Australia and New Zealand with 263 travellers on board.

Boeing told airlines using its 787 Dreamliner jets they should check the cockpit seats after a report into the terrifying incident.

The sudden plunge was likely caused by an accidental cockpit seat movement, the report said.

Boeing said the inspections were a ‘precautionary measure’, AP reported.

Brian Jokat, a passengers on board the LATAM Airlines flight on Monday, told how he thought he was still ‘dreaming’ when he woke up to see other passengers being thrown into the ceiling.

‘It dropped unlike anything I’ve ever experienced on any kind of minor turbulence. People were thrown out of their seats, hit the top of the roof of the plane, thrown down the aisles’, he said.

One passenger on board the LATAM Airlines flight showed his injuries (Credits: Brian Adam Jokat via REUTERS)

At least 50 people were injured and the plane ceiling was damaged as those not wearing seatbelts slammed onto it.

Initially, LATAM Airlines said it was caused by a ‘technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement’.

Then in another update on Tuesday, the Chilean airline said the plane ‘experienced a strong shake during flight, the cause of which is currently under investigation’.

Boeing said it recommended airlines to inspect the cockpit seats next time they perform maintenance on the jets, pointing to instructions explaining how to disable the motors that move the pilots’ seats.

The aircraft manufacturer also noted the ongoing probe into the LATAM Airlines flight, referring questions about findings to the investigating authorities.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that a flight attendant serving a meal in the cockpit hit a switch on the back of a seat that pushed the pilot into the controls, sending the nose of the plane downwards.

The outlet cited anonymous US industry officials who were briefed on preliminary findings from the probe.

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Scrutiny of Boeing has intensified after a string of incidents.

In January, a panel blew out of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max plane over the US state of Oregon.

A man seated near the hole had his iPhone, shoes and socks torn off, but he was saved by his seatbelt.

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