On Friday, Boeing issued a safety advisory asking airlines to inspect pilot seat switches on the 787 Dreamliner aircraft following a recent LATAM Airlines incident in which a sudden plunge injured some 50 crew members and passengers.
Boeing described the advisory as “precautionary” noting that airlines carry out the inspection during scheduled maintenance checks on the 787. According to the Washington Post, the inspection involves checking to see whether part of the seat switches have worked loose. Under certain circumstances the safety cap over a loose switch can jam it “resulting in unintended seat movement.” The seat can move forward enough to force the occupant’s body up against the yoke, resulting in the aircraft pitching down. United Airlines and American Airlines are the two main U.S. operators of the Dreamliner with fleets of 71 and 59, respectively.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, a stewardess serving a meal in the cockpit inadvertently hit a switch on the back of the seat pushing the pilot into the controls on the aircraft. The WSJ said the information was sourced from anonymous U.S. industry officials briefed on initial investigation findings.
Chile’s aviation authority has sent investigators to New Zealand to lead the investigation on the LATAM Airlines incident. As of now, no findings have been released.
