New Zealand investigators have seized the flight recorders from a LATAM Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner after an incident that left more than 50 people injured.
Two hours into the flight from Sydney to Auckland on Monday the plane plunged, sending travellers flying into the ceiling of the cabin and leaving many bloodied and bruised.
New Zealand's Transport Accident Investigation Commission said it was seizing the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder as it works out what caused the mid-air plunge.
The recorders, known as "black boxes", l provide detailed data on the flight's direction and communications between pilots.
LATAM is based in Chile and the flight was scheduled to continue on to Santiago after landing in Auckland.
Chilean authorities had confirmed they had opened an investigation into the flight, and it was helping the New Zealand accident watchdog with inquiries.
Exactly what caused the LATAM flight to "drop" in the sky remains a mystery, but passengers' videos have provided details about what happened to them.
"There was a massive air pocket and about 30 to 40 people have gone flying up into the air," passenger Max said in a video filmed during the aftermath.
Dozens of passengers and crew slammed into the ceiling before landing on the floor with a thud. One man emerged from the toilet with blood streaming down his face.
Flight attendants were also injured and doctors on board helped treat passengers, including a man with a neck injury.
The Boeing 787 with 272 people on board continued on without incident and landed safely an hour later in Auckland, where it was met by a line of ambulances.
Among the 13 people taken to hospital, four were Australian.
