Hawaiian Airlines jet rocked by severe turbulence in flight

The Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu is reported to have suffered two “intense” drops of altitude at around 30 minutes before landing safely at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

Passengers were reportedly thrown into the air as severe turbulence rocked a flight to Hawaii.

At least 36 people have been injured, including 11 people with serious injuries, after the flight from Phoenix to Hawaii on Sunday morning.

A 14-month old baby is among the casualties. It’s unclear how serious the child’s injuries are.

The Hawaiian Airlines flight is reported to have suffered two “intense” drops of altitude at around 30 minutes before landing safely at the state’s capital of Honolulu.

Emergency services were on the scene when the jet, which had 278 passengers and 10 crew members on board, landed at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

Passengers and crew have been left with serious head injuries and cuts while others lost consciousness.

A Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix suffered severe turbulence around 30 minutes before landing.

“Medical care was provided to several guests and crew members at the airport for minor injuries while some were swiftly transported to local hospitals for further care.

“We are supporting all affected passengers and employees and are continuing to monitor the situation.”

The force of the turbulence reportedly saw people who had not fastened their seat belt hit the ceiling of the aircraft.

Three crew members were among the 36 people to sustain injuries on the flight
Passenger Jazmin Bitanga told Hawaii News Now: “I turned around and there was a couple of people bleeding and just bracing themselves. Just all around me there were people crying.”

Bitanga, a college student who was flying home to Hawaii for the festive period, also said the turbulence was so strong that her boyfriend’s metal water bottle cracked the ceiling above them.

According to the National Weather Service, the severe turbulence occurred at around 36,000 feet – believed to be around 30 minutes before landing at Honolulu International Airport.

NWS meteorologist Genki Kino said: “We believe the flight may have gone through a thunderstorm, which may have caused the severe turbulence. During that time, there were scattered thunderstorms everywhere.” mirror.co.uk