Are Boeing 787 Pilot Seats Causing Sudden Altitude Drops?

Recurrent issues with specific devices have shaken confidence in the American aircraft manufacturer, raising concerns about its quality control and leading to calls for an inspection.

Boeing 787: Could a Pilot Seat Anomaly Have Caused a Sudden Drop?

It’s often the smallest details that can lead to the most catastrophic accidents. In March, an incident aboard a Latam flight injured dozens of passengers during a sudden loss of altitude, hurling unbuckled passengers towards the ceiling.

The Root of the Problem: The Pilot’s Seat

An accident report revealed that the pilot seat in the Boeing 787 flying from Sydney to Auckland may have inadvertently moved forward, causing the aircraft to rapidly descend. This issue appears to be a pivotal factor in the incident. Consequently, the “Federal Aviation Administration” (FAA), the U.S. aviation regulator, has mandated the inspection of pilot seats on several hundred aircraft.

Questions Arise Over Boeing’s Quality Controls

This event adds to a series of malfunctions noted in Boeing aircraft, raising concerns about the strictness of its quality controls. Notably, the FAA’s airworthiness directive following this incident covers approximately 158 registered aircraft in the United States and 737 globally.

Since the incident, Boeing has reported four additional instances of “uncontrolled horizontal movements” in pilot or co-pilot seats to the FAA. In three of these cases, the seat adjustment levers were found to be too “loose.”

Implications for Passengers and Crew

According to the FAA, an “unintended and prolonged movement of the seat” can lead to “unintentional and abrupt operation of flight controls”, potentially causing rapid descent and endangering passengers and crew, who are defenseless against such anomalies.