Recent revelations by the Wall Street Journal suggest that the harrowing flight from Sydney to Auckland, which was so turbulent that it injured 50 individuals, was inadvertently caused by a flight attendant's actions.

The report indicates that unnamed officials from a US airline assert that the flight attendant, while reportedly serving a meal, accidentally activated a switch. This action caused the pilot to become engaged with the controls unexpectedly.

“Closing the spring-loaded seat back switch guard onto a loose or detached rocker switch cap can potentially jam the rocker switch, leading to unintended seat movement,” noted a memo reviewed by the publication.

Boeing has responded by stating, “The investigation of Flight LA800 is ongoing, and we defer to the investigation authorities on any potential findings.”

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“We are advising operators to conduct an inspection at the next maintenance opportunity,” it concluded, as reported by The Guardian.

Survivors of the flight have recounted their experiences, describing it as something straight out of a horror film.

The Latam Airlines flight, operated by a Chilean carrier, departed Sydney on a Monday. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner encountered a sudden altitude drop, attributed to a “technical event” that caused “strong movement.”

Passengers described the drop as significant. One passenger, 61-year-old Brian Jokat, shared with Today that it felt as if the plane had “just dropped out of the sky,” with the shift in gravity causing his neighbor to hit the ceiling.

“For that split second, he was above me,” Jokat recounted.

“And then he crashed down. That's when I realized it wasn't a dream.”

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In another interview with 2GB radio, Jokat described the chaos: people “just flew to the ceiling of the plane, bounced off the roof, and fell to the floor, getting thrown everywhere.”

“I felt like I was watching a movie, it was so surreal,” he added.

“The top of the plane was damaged in several places; people went right through the roof, exposing the plane's inner workings.

“It dislodged the roof panels.”

Brian Jokat, who appeared on Today to discuss Latam’s hellish flight. Image: Today.

Jokat reported that several crew members were unable to walk due to their injuries, and doctors on the flight provided first aid, including applying neck braces to those in need.

“Many people were in pain, suffering from neck injuries, rib injuries, and cuts,” he stated.

Upon the plane’s arrival in Auckland, St John Ambulance New Zealand treated 50 patients, 12 of whom were hospitalized.

One patient was in serious condition, while others had “moderate to minor conditions.”

Jokat mentioned that the ordeal left people “crying” and “shaking.”

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Latam confirmed that both passengers and crew were “affected” by the incident but did not specify the cause. Jokat noted that the plane's pilot reported “his instrument gauges went black for a split second and just cut out,” causing a brief loss of control.

“LATAM regrets the inconvenience and injury this situation may have caused its passengers and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards,” the airline stated.

An ambulance was waiting for the Latam flight at Auckland airport. Image: Nine.

The Latam flight incident is the latest in a series of unsettling news

The Latam flight drop follows a series of flight-related issues, particularly involving Boeings, in recent days.

United Airlines had to turn its San Francisco flight around and return it to Sydney airport after encountering a mid-flight emergency on Monday.

Firefighters met the Boeing 777-300 on the tarmac, assisting all passengers to deboard while investigating the fault, which was apparently due to a hydraulics issue.

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There were four additional emergency landings just last week, and in February, a Boeing 737 Max 8 pilot reported his flight controls jammed while attempting to land.

These problems coincide with an ongoing lawsuit against Boeing, where witnesses were questioned last week.

A United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. Image: iStock.

John Barnett, a whistleblower who worked at the company for 32 years and served as a quality manager, alleged that pressures from supervisors to expedite the assembly process compromised safety.

He claimed workers installed substandard parts from scrap bins on planes to hasten production, and noted issues with emergency oxygen systems that resulted in one out of four oxygen masks failing to deploy in emergencies.

Boeing refuted his claims, but preliminary safety reports supported some of Barnett’s allegations.

Barnett was tragically found dead on Tuesday, just days before he was to undergo further questioning in the Boeing lawsuit.

In a statement, Boeing expressed, “We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Image: Nine.