In a recent development on the incident of LATAM Airlines, Flight LA-800, New Zealand's Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has announced that it is seizing the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, commonly known as black boxes, from a LATAM Airlines Boeing 787. This action comes in the wake of an incident that left more than 50 people injured.
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The incident occurred on a flight traveling from Sydney to Auckland. Passengers aboard the flight reported that the plane dropped abruptly mid-flight. The sudden change in the flight's trajectory is currently unexplained. The TAIC stated that because the incident occurred in international airspace, it fell to the Chilean accident investigation authority, Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil (DGAC), to open an inquiry. The New Zealand agency is in the process of gathering evidence relevant to the inquiry.
The black boxes will provide more information on the flight's trajectory and communications between pilots. The DGAC has confirmed that it is working with the TAIC on the investigation. LATAM Airlines has not yet commented on whether it has handed over the black boxes to the TAIC. However, the airline has stated that it will assist the relevant authorities in any investigation. Safety experts have noted that most airplane accidents are caused by a combination of factors that need to be thoroughly investigated. New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority has also stated that it will assist in the investigation if required.
This incident has sparked renewed debate over the length of cockpit recordings in the aviation industry. This comes after it was revealed that voice recorder data on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet that lost a panel mid-flight in January was overwritten. As the investigation continues, the cause of the sudden change in the flight's trajectory remains a mystery. The findings from the black boxes will be crucial in shedding light on this incident.