A Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu was subjected to severe turbulence, resulting in at least 36 injuries, 11 of them critical.
One passenger remarked that the shaking grew so violent that they were “practically floating off our seats.”
Twenty individuals were transported to area hospitals with injuries ranging from lacerations, bruising, loss of consciousness, and head trauma to loss of consciousness.
There were reports of thunderstorms in the vicinity at the time of the turbulence.
Monday, the National Transportation Safety Board of the United States announced an investigation into the event.
The Airbus A330-200 had 278 passengers and 10 crew members on board.
The incident on Flight HA35 occurred early Sunday morning, just before the plane landed at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
Several passengers and staff members were treated for minor injuries at the airport, while others were quickly transferred to local hospitals for additional care.
There were approximately 17 passengers and three crew members hospitalized. There was a 14-month-old infant and a teenager among them.
Jon Snook, chief operating officer of Hawaiian Airlines, stated that he was “grateful” for the assistance provided by emergency services and that “it appears as if everyone will survive.”
Recent uncertain weather conditions in Hawaii have posed difficulties for aircraft, he added.
A passenger told the Hawaiian radio station KHON2 that the strong turbulence lasted only a few seconds, but was sufficient to cause injuries.
“It was only rough. And then it swiftly escalated to the point where we were so trembling that we were practically floating out of our chairs “Jacie Hayata Ano stated.
You could see that people were injured all around us, and objects are everywhere,” she added.
Before the jet returns to service, the airline is undertaking a “thorough investigation,” according to a press release.
