Pilot seat movement a focus of probe into LATAM Boeing flight, report says (updated)

LATAM Airlines

14/03/2024 24:32

(Adds Chile regulator comment in paragraph 7 and background in
paragraphs 8 and 11)
       March 13 (Reuters) - The movement of a flight deck seat
is a key focus of the probe into a sudden mid-air dive by a
LATAM Airlines  LTM.SN  Boeing  BA.N  787 plane that left more
than 50 people injured, aviation industry publication the Air
Current reported on Wednesday. 
    The plane, which was heading from Sydney to Auckland on
Monday, dropped abruptly before stabilizing, causing those on
board to be thrown about the cabin.
    Based on the available information it was understood the
seat movement was "pilot induced, not intentionally," the report
said, citing a senior airline safety official.
    "The seat movement caused the nose down" angle of the
aircraft, the publication said, citing another anonymous source
who added the possibility of an electrical short was also under
review.
    Boeing is expected to release a message to 787 operators
regarding the incident, the Air Current reported, in a sign a
fleet-wide issue could be involved though it said the specific
topic was not known to the publication.
    Boeing declined to comment on the report, instead referring
Reuters to the investigating agencies. 
        Chile's aviation regulator, which is leading the probe
given it involves a Chilean airline flying in international
airspace, said the investigation "just got underway" and its
investigators had arrived in New Zealand.
    LATAM did not immediately respond to a request for comment,
but it earlier said it would assist the relevant authorities on
any investigation into the "strong shake" during the flight. 
        LATAM is based in Chile and the flight, which had 263
passengers and nine crew members, was due to continue on to
Santiago after stopping in Auckland.
    The cause of the flight's apparent sudden change in
trajectory has not yet been explained. Safety experts say most
airplane accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors that need
to be thoroughly investigated.
    New Zealand's Transport Accident Investigation Commission
said on Tuesday it was seizing the cockpit voice recorder and
flight data recorder of the flight, which would provide
information about the conversations between the pilots and the
plane's movement.

 (Reporting by Chandni Shah and Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru;
additional reporting by Natalia Ramos in Santiago; Editing by
Jamie Freed)
 ((Chandni.shah@thomsonreuters.com;))