WashingtonA Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu on Sunday was hit by severe turbulence, injuring at least 36 people and 11 seriously, officials said.
The airline said on Twitter that flight HA35 “encountered severe turbulence” just before landing in Honolulu.
“Medical care was provided to several guests and crew members with minor injuries at the airport, while some were rushed to local hospitals for further treatment.”
The Airbus A330-200 was carrying 278 passengers and 10 crew members, airline officials said.
At a press conference in Honolulu, Jim Ireland, director of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, said a total of 36 people were treated, including those with nausea and minor injuries.
“After the triage area was set up, 20 people ultimately needed to go to the hospital, 11 were triaged as serious and nine as mild,” Ireland said. Some people did.
“We are also very happy and lucky that there were no fatalities or other serious injuries. he said.
Hawaiian Airlines chief operating officer John Snook said three crew members were among the injured who were taken to hospital.
He said there have been erratic weather conditions in Hawaii recently, but incidents of such severe turbulence are “relatively rare.”
“Never in recent history have we experienced an incident of this kind,” he said.
The airline said it was conducting a thorough inspection of the aircraft before returning it to service.AFPMore
