A 14-month-old child was among those injured when a plane encountered significant turbulence en route to Hawaii.
Eleven persons were critically hurt aboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight due to severe turbulence.
The airplane carrying 278 passengers and 10 crew members had just left Phoenix, Arizona, and was 30 minutes from Honolulu when it encountered extreme turbulence.
According to Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, the plane, an Airbus A330, landed safely and 36 people were treated for injuries, including a severe head injury, bruising lacerations, and loss of consciousness.
Twenty of the injured were sent to the hospital; eleven are in critical condition and nine are in stable condition.
16 individuals were treated at the airport.
The 14-month-old patient was the youngest.
When the turbulence struck, her mother had just returned to her seat, according to Kaylee Reyes, a passenger who spoke to Hawaii News Now.
Ms. Reyes stated that she was unable to fasten her safety belt before she “flew up and smacked the ceiling.”
Hawaiian Airlines said that thirteen passengers and three staff members were sent to a hospital, however, it is unclear why their statistics differ from those provided by emergency services.
The airline noted, “We are providing assistance to all affected customers and personnel and are continuing to monitor the situation.”
The National Weather Service of the United States said that a strong cold front was passing over Hawaii, bringing destructive winds, violent thunderstorms, heavy rain, and flooding.
At the time of the event, according to NWS meteorologist Thomas Vaughan, a thunderstorm advisory had been issued for Oahu and locations that would have included the flight path.
