Boeing Co. sent out a memo on Thursday instructing airlines to check cockpit seats on 787 Dreamliner aircraft following the LATAM Airlines incident earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. According to a previous WSJ report, the sudden mid-air plunge that injured 50 people was caused by the accidental pressing of a switch on the pilot's seat, causing the pilot to be pushed into the control panel. The switch was supposed to be covered.
Boeing's memo said that "closing the spring-loaded seat back switch guard onto a loose/detached rocker switch cap can potentially jam the rocker switch, resulting in unintended seat movement," adding this was a "known issue." It is unclear whether this particular issue caused the LATAM Airlines incident.