New Zealand is investigating a 787 accident with passengers hitting the roof

A passenger told NBC News about the dramatic incident that saw people on board a Boeing plane fall through the ceiling, as authorities investigate what caused the plane's sudden mid-air plunge.

More than a dozen people were taken to hospital on Monday and at least 50 others were injured after a LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, experienced a “strong shaking,” officials said.

Authorities in New Zealand said on Tuesday that they had seized the black boxes of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which was scheduled to continue on its way to Santiago, Chile.

“Everything was going well,” said passenger Brian Jukat, who was sitting in a window seat as the flight headed to New Zealand. “Then suddenly, the plane nose-dived.”

“People were flying out of their seats, hitting the ceiling, and then being thrown back four or five aisles,” Gokat, 61, said in a phone interview.

While he was wearing a seatbelt, the passenger in the aisle seat in his row did not, Gokat said.

“I saw him lying on the ceiling looking at me,” he said. “It was fully extended,” Gukat said. “And then I looked back and everyone was falling from the ceiling,” he added.

Gokat said the seat belt, which he rarely wears while flying, saved him from injuries.

“But those days are over. 'I'll always have my seat belt on,' he said. 'Because what I saw on that plane was people flying like ragdolls.'

The Santiago-based airline said LATAM Airlines flight LA800 was carrying 263 passengers plus a crew of nine. statement Tuesday. The flight landed at its scheduled time of 4:26pm Monday (11:26pm Sunday ET) in Auckland after a flight that took 2 hours and 42 minutes.

The company said that the plane “was subjected to a strong shock, and its causes are being investigated.”

New Zealand Emergency Medical Service, Hato Hon St John, said in a statement that emergency services treated about 50 patients, 12 of whom were taken to hospital. statement Monday.

The airline said that most of them were discharged from hospital shortly after and that only two people needed medical care “but without any life-threatening risks.”

Gokat said the pilot told passengers that the flight experienced an equipment malfunction for a few seconds, causing the plane to fall approximately 500 feet in the air. “He said my gauges went down, everything went down for a second or two, then it came back on and kept going,” Gukat added.

“Some people broke through the ceiling. So you can see all the wires inside,” Gokat said.

The New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission is investigating the accident, saying in a statement On Tuesday they “captured the cockpit voice and flight data recorders.”

Chile has appointed a representative to participate in the investigation, the Chilean Aviation Authority said Monday mail On X.

Boeing said in a statement on Monday that it was gathering more information and “will provide any support our customer needs.”

The plane's manufacturer has been criticized for several safety incidents and technical snags in recent months.

Most notably, a door panel on an Alaska Airlines plane exploded in midair over Portland, Oregon, on January 5, prompting the Department of Justice to launch a criminal investigation.

Last week, a tire came off a United Airlines plane shortly after takeoff from San Francisco, hitting cars parked near the airport.

A United Airlines Boeing 737-900 made an emergency landing in Texas after bright orange flames were seen shooting from the plane's engine.

The investigation is underway after another United Boeing-built plane suffered “stuck” rudder pedals at Newark Airport in New Jersey last month.