Passengers were thrown into panic when oxygen masks suddenly dropped and the plane was forced into an emergency landing.
The crew declared a general emergency and began an immediate descent to a safer altitude.
Flight LA2424 of LATAM Airlines Peru had taken off from Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru, bound for São Paulo, Brazil.
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Tracking data showed the jet reached around 33,000 feet before the technical issue forced a rapid drop of about 23,000 feet near the Ica region.
Pilots sent the 7700 emergency signal to air traffic control and levelled off at roughly 10,000 feet before returning to the Peruvian capital.
The plane touched down at 11.31am local time on Friday (16 Oct), about one hour and 43 minutes after departure.
Peruvian passenger Alejandra Baigorria said the pilot announced an emergency landing before the masks dropped and thought “these are the last minutes of my life”.
She remained on the oxygen mask for nearly an hour while the jet descended and turned back.
The airline said in a statement: “LATAM Airlines Peru regrets any inconvenience that may have been caused and reaffirms that the safety of its passengers and crews is the top priority in all its operations.”
The airline confirmed the crew followed established safety procedures but described the fault as only a technical issue.
Specialist aviation reports indicated a loss of cabin pressure triggered the automatic release of the oxygen masks on the 767-300ER.
A replacement aircraft was arranged so travellers could continue their journey to São Paulo later the same day, as reported by Need To Know.
Crews follow standard protocols in such cases by descending promptly so passengers can breathe normally without masks.
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