Panic as plane drops 23,000ft and declares emergency as oxygen masks deployed

Panic erupted among passengers after the plane they were travelling on suddenly dropped by 23,000 feet and deployed oxygen masks. Flight LA2424 of LATAM Airlines took off at around 9.48am on Friday, October 15, from Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru. Bound for São Paulo, Brazil, tracking data shows the plane reached 33,000 feet before a technical issue forced a rapid drop of about 23,000 feet near the Ica region, south of Lima on the coast of Peru. Peruvian passenger Alejandra Baigorria recounted the terrifying moment the pilot announced an emergency landing, shortly before oxygen masks dropped, saying she feared “these are the last minutes of my life”.