Dozens of passengers were injured by a “strong movement” on board a Boeing-made plane flying from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland in New Zealand on Monday, with some requiring hospital treatment, authorities said.
It’s unclear exactly what caused the mid-flight injuries, but the South American airline LATAM told The Associated Press news agency that there was a “technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement,” without elaborating further.
The local ambulance service in Auckland told the AP that about 50 people were treated at the scene for mostly mild injuries and 13 were taken to a local hospital.
LATAM Airlines Flight LA800, a 787-9 Dreamliner, landed as scheduled in Auckland at 4:26 p.m. local time (11:26 p.m. Sunday ET) after its 2 hours and 42 minute flight. It’s not known how many passengers were on board, but the Dreamliner can hold between 250 and 280.
The airline also told The New Zealand Herald in a statement: “As a result of the incident, some passengers and cabin crew were affected. They received immediate assistance and were evaluated or treated by medical staff at the airport as needed.”
The statement continued: “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.”
NBC News has contacted both the airline and Boeing for comment.
Boeing has made headlines several times in recent months for technical problems with its aircraft, most notably when the door panel of an Alaska Airlines flight blew out midair over Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 5.
Bright orange flames were seen shooting out of an engine a United Airlines Boeing 737-900 flight from Texas to Florida last week, forcing it to make an emergency landing.
And an investigation is underway after another Boeing-made plane flown by United suffered “stuck” rudder pedals at Newark Airport in New Jersey last month.