New York, New York - Following the sudden crash of a passenger plane on its way to New Zealand that resulted in numerous injuries, the manufacturer Boeing has asked airlines to check certain switches on pilot seats.

Operators of 787 Dreamliner aircraft should inspect the switches "at the next maintenance opportunity," the company said on Friday.

Boeing also emphasized that the investigation into the incident on flight LA800, operated by Chilean airline Latam, was still ongoing.

On Monday, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on its way from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, descended abruptly.

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As passengers told New Zealand media, some people were thrown to the cabin ceiling.

50 people were injured, 13 of whom had to be taken to hospital.

The airline Latam spoke of an unspecified "technical incident," but the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing US industry circles, that a flight attendant had inadvertently activated a switch on the back of the pilot's seat while serving food.

A motorized mechanism forced the pilot forward into the aircraft controls, which pushed the nose of the plane down.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the switch is normally under a cover and should not be used when the pilot is in his seat.

The incident is hardly the first alarming accident for Boeing, as the manufacturer is under heavy scrutiny after numerous issues including blown-off doors and wheels crashing to the ground.