While en route from Phoenix to Honolulu on Monday, a Hawaiian Airlines flight encountered extreme turbulence that injured 36 passengers.
The event occurred at 10:35 a.m. on Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35, an Airbus 330, about 15 to 30 minutes before landing. The severity of the sudden movements jolted passengers without seatbelts into the overhead compartments. According to CNN, 278 passengers and 10 crew members were on board the plane.
At least 36 people were injured during the event, with 20 transported to the emergency room. Honolulu Emergency Medical Services (EMS) reported that 11 of the 20 are in serious condition, with the youngest injured passenger being a 14-month-old child.
According to Honolulu EMS, the injuries included loss of consciousness, bruising, serious head injuries and lacerations.
“Medical care was provided to several guests & crew members at the airport for minor injuries while some were swiftly transported to local hospitals for further care,” Hawaiian Airlines stated in a Twitter thread. “We are supporting all affected passengers & employees and are continuing to monitor the situation.”
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In an interview with CNN, Jacie Hayata-Ano — an 18-year-old college student headed home for winter break — described her experience as “like free-falling.” After the turbulence came to an end, crew members requested aid from trained medical or military passengers to help those injured, Hayata-Ano stated.
“I’m thankful that there were people that stepped up and helped because some of the staff needed it,” Hayata-Ano said. “Everyone was pretty much helping each other. Checking on each other and picking up stuff.”
Twitter user @LoveWorld_Peopl reuploaded a video taken by an unidentified passenger of the event’s aftermath on Monday, quickly garnering 19,000 views.
The video shows injured passengers and crew members, with many passengers sitting in shock.
Twitter user @rawsalerts also re-uploaded a video of Honolulu EMS responding to the situation on Sunday, receiving over 115,000 views.
Hawaiian Airlines have stated they are conducting an investigation into the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are also investigating.
