Shock detail after horror flight chaos
Shaken passengers on-board a plane which plunged from the sky injuring 50 people have vented frustration at their treatment by the airline after they were offered a single McDonald's cheeseburger as compensation.
Chilean Latam Airlines Flight LA800 was travelling from Sydney to New Zealand’s biggest city Auckland on Monday when a sudden drop in altitude threw passengers into the ceiling of the plane.
Emergency crews rushed to assess some 50 people at Auckland’s busy international airport, with ten passengers - four of whom were Australian - taken to a medical centre for further assessment.
Brisbane woman Clara Azevedo, 28, who was on the flight, said the about 250 passengers who were uninjured were given a single McDonald’s cheeseburger while waiting at the terminal after landing.
Ms Azevedo told the New Zealand Herald passengers were not fed again until Tuesday morning when they shared a breakfast at an Auckland hotel having been transferred there by the airline at 2am.
She told the New Zealand paper that it had felt like a “miracle” when the pilot regained control of the plane following the loss of altitude, revealing passengers “weren’t sure we were going to make it”.
“We are all traumatised, and we had to find strength to help people out. But, this is not our responsibility, it is Latam’s - but they haven’t done anything. That’s very frustrating,” Ms Azevedo said.
The Brisbane woman claimed Latam had not offered passengers help or support following the incident, sharing frustrations with other passengers who described a lack of communication by the airline.
Sydney woman Thais Iwamaoto, 26, also told the NZ Herald she was frustrated by the lack information from Latam, stating: “It’s just ridiculous, just so disorganised after what we have been through”.
“This (Latam’s communications) is something I want to talk to them about because it’s not okay. It’s just not fair. Accidents happen, but the way they treat us, that’s not what it’s supposed to be,” she said.
The revelations come as New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) confirms it is assisting at the request of the Chilean authorities with its investigation in the incident.
Passengers described chaotic scenes on Tuesday with dozens of people thrown from their seats, some left with clear bruises while others described being mentally shaken by the horrifying ordeal.
