Boeing Co

FAA orders inspections of Boeing 787s after midair dive injured more than 50

After people were thrown out of their seats in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in March, the FAA is now requiring the cockpit seats on those planes to be checked

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The Federal Aviation Administration will require inspections of hundreds of Boeing 787 Dreamliners after a LATAM Airlines plane in March took a sudden midair plunge that injured at least 50 people.

The FAA said in a statement that the plane dived after a seat in the cockpit jolted forward and disconnected the autopilot system, causing a rapid descent. Since the incident, the FAA has received four additional reports of similar issues, the latest in June.

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The agency identified loose rocker switch caps on the backs of cockpit seats as the cause in three of the incidents. The two other cases remain under investigation.

As a result, the FAA issued an airworthiness directive, citing the "unsafe condition" of the seats, and required inspections of 158 U.S.-registered airplanes and 737 airplanes worldwide. The inspections must be completed within 30 days.

Hours after lawmakers revealed that another Boeing whistleblower had come forward, company CEO David Calhoun faced a Senate committee Tuesday to address reports of safety and quality control issues.

A Boeing spokesperson said in response that company officials "fully support" the directive.

The announcement adds to the continuing regulatory and public scrutiny of Boeing, particularly concerning its 787 Dreamliner.

In June, it discovered hundreds of incorrectly installed fasteners on some undelivered jets. In May, the FAA investigated whether Boeing had completed required inspections or falsified aircraft records. And the month before that, a whistleblower told NBC News that Boeing should halt Dreamliner production because of unresolved assembly flaws.

In response to the whistleblower's claims, Boeing said it was "fully confident" in the Dreamliner.

NBC News' Jay Blackman contributed.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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