Federal Aviation Administration Orders Inspections After Mid-Flight Dive Linked to Uncontrolled Movement of Pilots’ Seats.
U.S. Aviation Regulators Order Inspections of Boeing 787 Dreamliners After Midair Dive Incident
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated inspections of hundreds of Boeing 787 Dreamliners following a midair dive in March that injured dozens of passengers.
The FAA’s directive, announced on Monday, requires airlines to inspect the captain’s and first officer’s seats on certain 787-7, 787-9, and 787-10 models for issues such as missing or cracked rocker switch caps and damaged or nonfunctional switch cover assemblies. Airlines must complete these inspections within 30 days and address any necessary corrective actions.
This directive impacts 158 U.S.-registered aircraft and 737 aircraft globally. The order follows preliminary findings by Chile’s aviation authority, which attributed the March 11 incident—where LATAM Flight 800 suddenly descended 400 feet—to an “involuntary movement forward” of the captain’s seat.
The abrupt dive, which occurred while the flight was en route from Sydney to Auckland, resulted in injuries to approximately 50 passengers. The FAA’s investigation revealed that the unintended horizontal movement of the seats led to the disconnection of the auto-pilot, causing the rapid descent until the First Officer regained control.
The FAA has received four additional reports of similar issues from Boeing since the incident, the most recent being in June. The agency warned that uncommanded seat movement can lead to unexpected and abrupt flight control changes, potentially causing severe in-flight disturbances and harm to passengers and crew.
Boeing has expressed full support for the FAA’s directive, which enforces mandatory compliance with the supplier’s safety guidance for 787 operators.
This directive is part of a broader series of safety concerns involving Boeing. Last month, Boeing reached a settlement to plead guilty to fraud after U.S. prosecutors determined the company breached a deferred prosecution agreement linked to two fatal 737 Max crashes. Additionally, Boeing is under separate criminal investigation for a January incident involving a 737 MAX operated by Alaska Airlines, where a portion of the fuselage detached mid-flight.
