Passengers and crew on an inbound flight to Auckland International Airport were thrown into the roof of the plane after a sudden loss of altitude this afternoon.

A technical problem caused “strong movement” onboard Chilean airline LATAM flight LA800 from Sydney to Auckland, which prompted a major emergency service response to the airport.

A passenger on the flight, Priscilla Waller-Subritzky, told the Herald she was watching a movie when the plane lost altitude and “a number of passengers and crew were thrown into the roof of the plane”.

The incident occurred with about an hour left in the flight.

“I went into fight mode and just started jumping in and helping where I could because the crew were injured so couldn’t help.

Waller-Subritzky said once the adrenaline wore off, she experienced a lot of pain and was headed for the emergency department this evening.

An ambulance leaving Auckland International Airport after passengers were injured during a Latam flight from Sydney to Auckland this afternoon. Photo / Dean Purcell

“I’ve been on plenty of flights before but that was completely out the gate.”

Fourteen Hato Hone St John units rushed to the airport this afternoon after they were notified at 3.58pm of an incident onboard the flight.

St John crews treated approximately 50 patients, with one patient in a serious condition and the remainder in a moderate to minor condition. Ten patients were transported to Middlemore Hospital, one to Auckland City Hospital and another to Starship Hospital.

Seven ambulances, two operations managers, two major incident support team vehicles, one command unit and two rapid response vehicles attended the scene.

An ambulance at Auckland International Airport after passengers were injured during a Latam flight from Sydney. Photo / Dean Purcell

Another passenger told the Herald he had never experienced anything like that in 15 years of flying.

“The plane dipped so dramatically into a nose dive for a couple of seconds and around 30 people hit the ceiling hard,” said Daniel.

Daniel, who was travelling from London, said passengers were screaming and it was hard to tell if there was red wine or blood splattered throughout the plane.

“None of us knew what had happened until after the flight, I was just trying to keep everyone calm. We never heard any announcement from the captain.”

Video obtained by the Herald shows multiple distressed passengers holding their heads after the incident.

Approximately 50 patients have been treated by ambulance crews and 13 were transported to Middlemore Hospital. Photo / Dean Purcell

A Latam Airlines spokesperson said three cabin crew members had been taken to Middlemore Hospital for medical checks, with no serious injuries reported.

“Latam deeply regrets any inconvenience and discomfort this situation may have caused its passengers, and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards.”

A connecting flight which was bound for Santiago, Chile had been rescheduled for tomorrow and affected passengers were being provided with food and accommodation services.

An Auckland Airport spokesperson said its emergency service team were assisting St John after a request for medical support from a Latam Airlines flight from Sydney.

Additional ambulances were also responding to the incident.

Police said they were aware of the incident and referred all other inquiries to St John.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.