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full screen Two pilots do a check just before take off. The pilots in the picture have nothing to do with the incident. Archive image. Photo: AP/TT
It was probably a loose seat in the cockpit that caused the nightmare flight to Auckland, New Zealand the other day. Now the aircraft manufacturer Boeing recommends that the seats in which the pilots sit are checked properly, writes the Wall Street Journal.
On its way to New Zealand, the plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, suddenly dived heavily mid-flight. The passengers were thrown headlong against the roof and several were injured.
The sharp dive was probably caused by someone reaching into the pilot’s seat during food service, causing the pilot to enter the levers and push the plane’s nose down, according to preliminary findings on the cause.
Therefore, Boeing now advises airlines to check the levers so that the seat is not unwittingly moved out of position.