Written by Alasdair Pal and Cordelia Hsu
SYDNEY (Reuters) – New Zealand's Transport Accident Investigation Commission said on Tuesday it had seized the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder following a LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 crash that injured more than 50 people.
The airline and passengers on the Sydney-Auckland flight said on Monday that the plane carrying 263 passengers and nine crew members suddenly fell mid-air.
“My neighbor, who was two seats above me, had a gap between us. As soon as I woke up, I looked and he was on the ceiling and I thought he was dreaming.” Canadian resident Brian Adam Jocutt, a British man who was traveling on the plane, spoke on Tuesday.
Photos taken by Mr. Giokat after the incident showed damage to the ceiling of the plane, where his passenger was struck, he said.
New Zealand accident investigators have confirmed that Chilean authorities have launched an investigation into the plane and said they are cooperating with the investigation.
A TAIC spokesperson said that because the incident occurred in international airspace, Chile's accident investigation authority, the General Directorate General of Aviation (DGAC), had ordered an investigation to be launched.
Latin American Airlines is based in Chile, and the flight was scheduled to stop in Auckland before heading to Santiago.
“TAIC is collecting evidence relevant to the investigation, including the seizure of cockpit audio recorders and flight data recorders,” New Zealand authorities said, referring to a so-called “black box” that could provide further information about the flight's trajectory. Ta. and communication between pilots.
DGAC said in a statement that it is working with TAIC on the investigation.
Latin America did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it had handed over the black box to TAIC. The airline said early Tuesday that it would assist authorities with any investigation into the “strong shaking” during the flight.
The cause of the apparent sudden change in flight trajectory is currently unexplained. Safety experts say most aircraft accidents are caused by a combination of factors that require thorough investigation.
The New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority also said in a statement that it would cooperate with the investigation if necessary.
Data on the voice recorder of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane that lost a panel during a flight in January was revealed to have been overwritten, sparking a new debate in the aviation industry over the length of cockpit recordings. ing.
(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Jamie Freed)
