The first hypotheses have emerged on the causes of the plane crash that occurred in recent days on board a B-787 Dreamliner aircraft of the Chilean carrier Latam, which suddenly lost altitude upon landing at Auckland International Airport in New Zealand, causing the injury of approximately 50 people, including passengers and crewmembers.

Initially it was said that turbulence had caused the problem. Then the hypothesis of a failure of the on-board instruments arose, as testified by a traveler who cited a dialogue with the pilot as a source. Now there is a new hypothesis: the loss of altitude could have been caused by a problem with the pilot's seat: provoked by a stewardess who inadvertently pressed a switch that regulates it, activating an automated function of the seat.

It was reported by the US newspaper "Wall Street Journal", which cites as sources some officials familiar with the dossier concerning the preliminary investigations, conducted in parallel by the New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) and the Chilean Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil (DGAC). According to rumors, the button, not to be used in flight, should have been repaired by a special cover which perhaps had not been installed on Latam's Dreamliner plane. If so, it could be another problem for the Boeing Group.

On the same topic, see also the article published by AVIONEWS.