At least 36 people injured, some seriously, after 'severe turbulence' on Hawaiian Airlines flight

ByPete Muntean and Chris Boyette, CNN, CNNWire
Monday, December 19, 2022
At least 36 people injured in severe turbulence on Hawaii flight
At least 36 people on a Hawaiian Airlines flight were injured, with 20 taken to emergency rooms, after their plane encountered "severe turbulence" on a flight from Phoenix to Honolulu on Sunday, authorities said.

HONOLULU -- At least 36 people on a Hawaiian Airlines flight were injured, with 20 taken to emergency rooms, after their plane encountered "severe turbulence" on a flight from Phoenix to Honolulu on Sunday, authorities said.

Eleven patients were in serious condition, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said in a statement. Among those transported to the hospital was a 14-month-old child, CNN reported.

The patients' injuries included a serious head injury, lacerations, bruising and loss of consciousness, Honolulu EMS said.

Hawaiian Airlines is "supporting all affected passengers & employees" and monitoring the situation, the company said.

"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 tweeted.

The turbulence occurred 30 minutes before the plane landed in Honolulu.

The EMS and the American Medical Response responded to a "mass casualty emergency" at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport just after 11 a.m. Sunday, according to the statement.

Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35, an Airbus 330, reported the turbulence around 10:35 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA said it is investigating the incident.

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