Turbulence injures dozens on Hawaiian Airlines flight:
Turbulence injures dozens on Hawaiian Airlines flight
At least 36 people have been injured, 11 seriously, after a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu was hit by severe turbulence.
The incident happened shortly before the aircraft, carrying 278 passengers and 10 crew, came in to land on Sunday.
Twenty people were taken to local hospitals with injuries ranging from lacerations, bruising and loss of consciousness to head injuries.
Thunderstorms were reported in the area at the time of the turbulence.
Flight HA35 landed at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport at 10:50 (20:50 GMT) on Sunday.
A statement from Hawaiian Airlines read: “Medical care was provided to several guests and crew members at the airport for minor injuries while some were swiftly transported to local hospitals for further care.”
Of the people taken to hospital, about 17 were passengers and three were crew members. A 14-month-old baby and a teenager were among them.
The Chief Operating Officer for Hawaiian Air, Jon Snook, said he was “grateful” for the support provided by emergency services and that “it looks like everybody’s going to survive”.
He added that there had been unstable weather conditions in Hawaii recently that created challenges for airlines.
The airline said it was conducting a “thorough investigation” of the plane – an Airbus A330 – before it returns to service.
