LATAM Boeing 787 flying from Sydney to Auckland took terrifying plunge after flight attendant serving cockpit meal accidentally hit switch on pilot's seat and jammed them against jet's controls, US regulators believe

LATAM Boeing 787 flying from Sydney to Auckland took a terrifying plunge after a flight attendant serving a cockpit meal inadvertently hit a switch on the pilot's seat.

The accidental action set off a chain reaction, activating a motorized function that jolted the pilot into the controls, sending the aircraft into a descent that some passengers describe like a scene from the 'The Exorcist.' 

Boeing issued a memo to operators of 787 jets on Thursday night, urging them to inspect cockpit chairs for loose covers on switches and providing instructions on how to deactivate the pilot seat motor if necessary.

'Closing the spring-loaded seat back switch guard onto a loose/detached rocker switch cap can potentially jam the rocker switch, resulting in unintended seat movement,' stated the memo, obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

Boeing also mentioned that updates to flight crew manuals are being considered. 

LATAM Boeing 787 flying from Sydney to Auckland took a terrifying plunge after a flight attendant serving a cockpit meal inadvertently hit a switch on the pilot's seat. A photograph taken on March 9, 2023 shows a view of the cockpit of a United Airlines Boeing 787 aircraft

Latam, an airline based in Chile, has stated that the Dreamliner experienced a 'technical event during the flight which caused strong movement,' as indicated by preliminary evidence from an investigation. 

This switch, which is supposed to be covered and not operated while a pilot is seated, led to the inadvertent activation of the control system. 

A Latam spokesperson said the company is cooperating with authorities in the ongoing investigation. 

'We are in contact with our customer, and Boeing stands ready to support investigation-related activities as requested,' Boeing said in a statement. 

A terrified passenger aboard a LATAM Airways Boeing jet described going through 'the worst turbulence you could think of' after dozens were flung from their seats mid-flight.

The flier, Lucas Ellwood, said that 'everybody was terrified' on board the flight from Sydney, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand on Monday, with the latest catastrophe involving Boeing sending at least 10 to the hospital.

'There were people whimpering all over, there were people injured all over,' he told Good Morning America. 'Everyone just hit the roof them fell to the ground.'

Passengers aboard a LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand were flung to the ceiling amid 'terrifying' turbulence on Monday night 

Up to 50 passengers were injured in the chaotic scenes, with 10 hospitalized with head and neck injuries and broken bones 

Boeing 787 Passenger Records 'Final' Video to Mother After Flight NosedivesA passenger documented what it was like onboard a Boeing 787 operated by LATAM Airline

Moments after the plane dropped abruptly during its flight from Sydney to Auckland on Monday, March 11

The LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that suddenly lost altitude mid-flight a day earlier, dropping violently and injuring dozens of terrified travellers, is seen on the tarmac of the Auckland International Airport in Auckland on March 12

One passenger described enduring 'the worst form of turbulence you could think of', as other likened dozens flying around the cabin to scenes from The Exorcist 

An ambulance leaving Auckland International Airport after a number of passengers were injured

Others compared the chaotic scenes as reminiscent of something from 'The Exorcist', as reports indicate as many as 50 people were injured in the incident.

It is the latest in a string of aircraft malfunctions and in-flight faults involving Boeing jets, which has seen tens of billions wiped off the company's market value following incidents such an emergency door blowing out of an Alaska Airlines jet in January.

Passengers reportedly suffered head and neck injuries as well as several broken bones, and the airliner said seven passengers and three cabin crew were hospitalized.

Although none are believed to have been seriously injured, passengers described how the flight went from calm to panicked in a flash.

Many had taken their seatbelts off as the journey was calm, before it suddenly dropped and shook with turbulence, sending many flying into the ceiling.

On January 5, an emergency plug door blew out of an Alaska Airlines jet at 16,000ft, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon  

Passengers had their phones and clothes ripped off by the force of the door blowout, with the incident sparking a lawsuit from the passengers while billions were wiped off Boeing's market value 

He said he had problems with  how Boeing was handling its production of its 737s and 787s in particular, days after a door plug blew out on a 737 blew out at 16,000ft,

'It was just like the worst form of turbulence you could think of,' Ellwood said after.

Others described it as something out of a 'horror movie', and felt similar to a rollercoaster dropping without warning.

Despite the alarming incident, the Boeing 787-Dreamliner continued its journey as planned and landed in Auckland around 2 hours and 42 minute after takeoff.

This comes as the Boeing whistleblower found dead on Saturday had given stark warnings over the aviation giant's 787 Dreamliner and 737 Max models just weeks before his demise.

John Barnett, 62, was found with a 'self-inflicted' gunshot wound in the parking lot of a hotel in Charleston, South Carolina.

Barnett was found dead inside his truck on Saturday in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn in Charleston, pictured above

Barnett's attorney, Brian Knowles, told the BBC that Barnett had been in the middle of a deposition in a whistleblower lawsuit in Charleston related to production of the 787 Dreamliner plane.

The suit alleged under-pressure workers were deliberately fitting 'sub-standard' parts to Boeing 787s, and that brass were sweeping defects under the rug to save money.

The FAA has since revealed the firm failed a whopping 33 of 89 audits during an exam of its 737 Max production.

In January, Barnett appeared on TMZ to provide his take on a technical failure that saw a door fly off its hinges of a 737 - a model he said was being victimized by recent shifts in strategy along with the 787.