BREAKING NEWS: At least 36 people – including children – are injured on Hawaiian Airlines flight: Passengers from Arizona ‘crash into plane’s ceiling’ and are knocked unconscious during turbulent ‘mass emergency’
- A Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu encountered severe turbulence about 30 minutes before landing, resulting in at least 36 injuries,
- 11 people were seriously injured with some even being knocked unconscious
- Passengers ranging in age from 14 months to adults suffered head injuries, cuts, bruises – they were met by the emergency services upon landing
- Of the injured passengers, 20 were taken to the emergency room, with 11 in serious condition and nine in stable condition
- National Weather Service believes the turbulence may have been caused by the flight passing through a thunderstorm with a cold front bringing strong winds
At least 36 people were injured, with some knocked unconscious and at least one report of a passenger suffering a broken neck while onboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix, Arizona to Honolulu, Hawaii on Sunday after it encountered severe turbulence.
It occurred approximately 30 minutes before landing and led to 11 people being seriously hurt, including several children and a 14-month-old baby.
Passengers on Flight 35 sustained a variety of injuries, including serious head injuries, cuts and bruises.
Emergency services, including firefighters, ambulance crews, and the state Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Team, were called to the airport to respond to the ‘mass casualty emergency’ that occurred around 11am.
One Twitter user posted video of some of the damage done to the roof of the cabin which appear to have been smashed into as people hit the ceiling as the plane suddenly dropped
National Weather Service believes the turbulence may have been caused by the flight passing through a thunderstorm with a cold front bringing strong winds
A Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix, Arizona to Honolulu, Hawaii experienced severe turbulence approximately 30 minutes before landing on Sunday, resulting in the injury of at least 36 people, 11 of whom were seriously hurt (file photo)
One Twitter user described the encounter as their ‘scariest experience flying’ and ‘traumatic’
Of the injured individuals, 20 were taken to the emergency room, with 11 in serious condition and nine in stable condition.
‘Scariest experience flying: very strong turbulence happened mid flight & some ppl with head injuries from hitting the ceiling. i’m safe just very shaken up,’ wrote lynnxxy on Twitter adding that the encounter was ‘traumatic’.
‘Some ppl in the back with broken neck, bleeding on the head & face. I hope they all recover soon as this was a very traumatic event,’ they tweeted.
‘Made it home safe but will be going to the hospital later to check if i have an injury from whiplash or on my waist from the seatbelt when i floated up from my seat a bit,’ they later added.
Passengers on the flight, who ranged in age from 14 months to adults, sustained a variety of injuries, including serious head injuries, cuts, bruises, and even some were knocked unconscious (file photo)
The National Weather Service suggested the severe turbulence may have been caused by the flight passing through a storm, as there were scattered thunderstorms in the area at the time.
The incident occurred while the plane was at cruising altitude at 36,000ft as a strong cold front began to affect the state, bringing the possibility of strong winds, heavy rains, and thunderstorms.
One passenger, Kaylee Reyes, said the turbulence occurred about half an hour before landing.
Moments earlier, mother had just sat down in her seat and had not yet fastened her seatbelt.
‘She flew up and hit the ceiling,’ Reyes told Hawaii News Now.
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