(AP) — Severe turbulence rocked a flight from Phoenix to Honolulu Sunday, seriously injuring 11 people in what an Hawaiian Airlines official called an isolated and unusual event.
Jon Snook, the airline’s chief operating officer, said the airline hasn’t experienced “an incident of this nature in recent history.” The flight was full, carrying 278 passengers and 10 crew members, he said during an afternoon news conference.
Jim Ireland, director of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, said 36 people received treatment, a number that included those with nausea or minor injuries. He said 20 people were taken to hospitals, including 11 people deemed to be in serious condition.
“We are also very happy and we feel fortunate that there were not any deaths or other critical injuries. And we’re also very hopeful that all will recover and make a full recovery,” he said.
The injured included three flight attendants, Snook said. Passenger Kaylee Reyes told Hawaii News Now that her mother had just sat down when the turbulence hit, and did not have a chance to buckle her safety belt.
“She flew up and hit the ceiling,” Reyes said.
Snook said there was some internal damage to the aircraft. He said the seatbelt sign was on at the time the incident occurred. He also said the airline was familiar with the weather forecast. Snook said there was no warning that that “particular patch of air … was in any way dangerous.”
Thomas Vaughan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said there had been a weather advisory out for thunderstorms that included Oahu and areas that would have included the flight path at the time of the incident.
