Severe turbulence on Hawaii flight leaves at least 36 passengers injured (VIDEOS/PHOTOS)
Hawaiian Airlines passengers were shook after severe turbulence left at least 36 injured on a flight from Phoenix to Honolulu on Sunday, according to authorities.
Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said 11 people were seriously injured in a statement obtained by CNN.
The youngest among those taken to the hospital was a 14-month-old child.
Passengers’ injuries included serious head injury, lacerations, bruising, and loss of consciousness, said Honolulu EMS.
Hawaiian Airlines tweeted confirmation that flight HA35 landed safely at Honolulu’s Daniel K Inouye International Airport Sunday morning and that it is “supporting all affected passengers & employees.”
(1/2) HA35 from PHX to HNL encountered severe turbulence & landed safely in HNL at 10:50 a.m. today. Medical care was provided to several guests & crewmembers at the airport for minor injuries while some were swiftly transported to local hospitals for further care.
— Hawaiian Airlines (@HawaiianAir) December 19, 2022
“Flown into the ceiling and slammed into the ground”
The following accounts from passengers show just how bad the turbulence was.
Tiffany Reyes found herself suddenly on the aisle floor staring up at broken ceiling panels, reported The Associated Press.
She had just returned to her seat from the bathroom and was about to put her seatbelt on when the turbulence hit.
People around her informed her that she had “flown into the ceiling and slammed into the ground.”
Reyes also told AP that she saw a woman exit the plane with gashes on her head and blood on her face and clothes.
Jacie Hayata Ano told Hawaiian broadcaster KHON2 that while the turbulence didn’t last for long, it “quickly escalated.”
It was just rocky. And then, it quickly just escalated to, like, the point where we’re shaking so much that we were, like, pretty much floating off of our chairs,” said Ano.
“You could see people were hurt around us and things are just everywhere… that’s pretty surreal,” she added.
Ano captured the aftermath of the incident in a video posted to @hhhnewz on Instagram.
At the end of the footage, you can hear the flight attendant asking if there were medical personnel on the plane.
View this post on Instagram
Mark Talaeai posted photos of his daughter’s experience on Instagram, showing oxygen masks hanging from the ceilings and exposed airplane pipes.
View this post on Instagram
“A thorough inspection of the aircraft” is being conducted by Hawaiian Airlines before it is returned to service.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are both investigating the incident.
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