Latam Airlines apologises as passengers on horror flight prepare to leave Auckland for South America

Latam Airlines has apologised to passengers on a flight that plunged mid-trip from Sydney to Auckland, offering to reimburse them for any expenses incurred.

In an email sent to passengers on Monday’s horror flight, which allegedly plunged several hundred feet in a matter of seconds, Latam said it expressed “sincere apologies for the situation”.

“We are committed, and it is our top priority to assist all our passengers. We want to assure you that we are here to support you.”

Passengers and crew were thrown into the plane’s ceiling and others were covered in blood after a “technical issue” saw flight LA800 lose altitude, causing “strong movement”.

“If you have not received access to accommodations, food, ground transportation, or if you incurred any other expense as a result of this situation, we ask that you please provide us with the documentation associated with these expenses for the reimbursement review process,” the email read.

The Herald understands Latam has not offered affected passengers any form of refund for plane fares after the incident.

The apology comes as passengers of the flight into Auckland International Airport will tonight (Tuesday) travel to South America with the same airline.

More than 300 passengers queued at the check-in gate this afternoon for a Latam Airlines flight to Santiago, Chile, with many expressing their anxiety around travelling only a day after the incident.

One passenger told the Herald his mind went to some “pretty dark places” for a few seconds during the incident.

Passengers at Auckland International Airport check in for a replacement Air Latam flight to Chile, following an incident in which a flight from Sydney to Auckland experienced a sudden drop in altitude yesterday. Photo / Dean Purcell

Colombian national Larry Reef said everyone has experienced turbulence before but this was different as you “could never prepare for something like this”.

Reef was sitting in the second cabin of the flight, but said most injuries occurred in the third.

“I popped my head out to look back and it looked like people had been through war.

“I had just left my family in Australia to fly back to Colombia so those family memories definitely came to the front of my mind.”

Reef said he was anxious about Tuesday night’s flight, but that he had to “get back on the horse”.

“Fingers crossed lightning doesn’t strike twice,” he said.

Passenger Larry Reef said his mind went to some "pretty dark places" for a few seconds during yesterday's flight. Photo / Dean Purcell

Latam said in a statement this morning the cause of the incident, which the airline described as a “strong shake”, was currently under investigation.

A Transport Accident Investigation Commission spokesperson said Chile would be responsible for investigating because the incident occurred in international airspace.

Peru-based passenger Janet Baker said she was terrified to fly so soon after the incident.

“But I have to get home,” she said.

Janet Baker says she was terrified at the prospect of flying again tonight. Photo / Dean Purcell

She was among the hundreds of Latam customers who stayed across 10 Auckland hotels overnight.

“I didn’t sleep all night, I’ve just been thinking about getting home,” Baker said.

Frequent flyer Luke Francis said he had never experienced anything like what had happened this week in his 30 years of travel.

Francis was not wearing a seatbelt when the plane dropped, causing him to smash into the ceiling along with “a third of the plane”.

Luke Francis was injured in yesterday’s flight when his head hit the roof of the plane. Photo / Dean Purcell

“When I landed back on the ground, another elderly passenger who had broken his shoulder fell on top of me.”

He said there were multiple injuries during the flight including a stewardess who had broken her arm and passengers who had blood streaming from their heads.

Fifty people were treated by St John once the plane landed in Auckland and 13 required further treatment in hospital. Four remained in Middlemore Hospital in a moderate condition on Tuesday night.

Latam said the injured passengers were from five countries. Ten passengers from Brazil, France, Australia, Chile and New Zealand, as well as three cabin crew, were all taken to hospital.

In the aftermath of the mid-air scare, a pilot inspecting the cabin told passengers his instrument panel briefly went blank before it all came back.

Hundreds of passengers were scheduled to fly to South America tonight after yesterday's horror flight. Photo / Dean Purcell

Auckland-based passenger Lucas Ellwood saw three men “flying in the air” when the sudden drop occurred and saw a number of his fellow passengers in “immense distress”.

“A man was in the toilet when the jolt happened, he came out of the bathroom with blood streaming down one side of his face.”

The shaken passengers were given a single McDonald’s cheeseburger while waiting at the terminal once the plane landed and were not fed again until this morning.

Brisbane woman Clara Azevedo, 28, said it felt like a “miracle” when the pilot gained control of the plane after feeling it “free fall” for what she thought was about 10 seconds.

“We were not sure if we were going to make it or not,” Azevedo said.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.