Eleven people were seriously injured on a flight to Hawaii that was hit by severe turbulence on Sunday, about 30 minutes from Honolulu, an emergency response agency said.
The 11 people were hospitalized in serious condition and nine others are in stable condition, the Honolulu Emergency Medical Service said in a statement.
The same source said it received an alert shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time indicating injuries on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix.
Rescuers treated 36 people, and of those, 20 people were transported for medical treatment.
The statement said the injuries included serious head injuries, lacerations, bruises and loss of consciousness.
Passenger Kaylee Reyes told Hawaii News Now that her mother had just sat down when the turbulence began and she did not have a chance to buckle up.
“It flew up and hit the ceiling,” Reyes said.
Hawaiian Airlines said in a statement that 13 passengers and three crew members were taken to area hospitals for additional care.
The airline said the plane was carrying 278 passengers and 10 crew members and touched down safely in Honolulu around 10:50 a.m.
Thomas Vaughan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said a storm weather warning was in effect that included Oahu and areas that would include the flight path at the time of the incident.
Source: TSF
