'Strong movement': 50 people were injured on a Boeing 787 flight bound for New Zealand

Dozens of passengers on a Boeing-made aircraft flying from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand, were injured in what has been characterized as "strong movement" on Monday, according to NBC News. Some of those on board needed medical attention after the plane landed.

The report mentioned that it is not yet clear what caused the sudden and violent movement. South American airline LATAM said in a recent statement that there was a "technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement," but the airline did not comment further on the situation.

One person who was on the plane is thought to have suffered serious injuries, according to the Associated Press.

The airline said: "As a result of the incident, some passengers and cabin crew were affected. They received immediate assistance and were evaluated or treated by medical staff at the airport as needed."

"LATAM regrets the inconvenience and injury this situation may have caused its passengers, and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards," it continued.

A Boeing spokesperson said in a statement following the incident: "We are working to gather more information about the flight and will provide any support needed by our customer."

NBC News reported that LATAM Airlines Flight LA800, a 787-9 Dreamliner, landed as scheduled in Auckland despite the issues.

The incident comes as John Barnett, who worked for Boeing for 32 years, was found dead inside his truck outside a South Carolina hotel. Leading up to his retirement in 2017, Barnett worked as a quality manager on the 787 Dreamliner at the Boeing factory in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Reports noted that Barnett had become involved in a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing, detailing possible safety issues at the aerospace and defense corporation's factories.

He was supposed to continue his pretrial deposition last week, but he never showed up.

The Charleston County coroner told the BBC that Barnett died from "self-inflicted" wounds and that the authorities were currently investigating the incident.

Brian Knowles, Barnett's attorney, said that his client "was supposed to do day three of his deposition here in Charleston on his AIR21 case."

"Today is a tragic day," wrote Knowles.

"John had been back and forth for quite some time getting prepared. The defense examined him for their allowed seven hours under the rules on Thursday. I cross examined him all day yesterday (Friday) and did not finish. We agreed to continue this morning at 10 a.m. (co-counsel) Rob (Turkewitz) kept calling this morning and his (Barnett's) phone would go to voicemail."

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