Three dozen people were hurt — 11 of them seriously — when a flight from Phoenix to Honolulu was rocked by severe turbulence on Sunday, the authorities said.
The Hawaiian Airlines flight landed at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu at about 11 a.m. local time, according to the airline. Medical personnel provided care to passengers and crew members who were injured, according to Honolulu Emergency Medical Services.
Shayne Enright, a spokeswoman for the services, said that 36 people, including a 14-month old, were injured. Of those, 11 people, including one teenager, were hospitalized with serious injuries. Nine others were hospitalized in stable condition, she added. The condition of the infant was not immediately available.
“Injuries included a serious head injury, lacerations, bruising and loss of consciousness,” Ms. Enright said. None of the victims appeared to have life-threatening injuries, she said.
A representative of Hawaiian Airlines did not immediately respond to an email and a phone call seeking comment on Sunday.
“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,” the airline said on Twitter, adding, “We are supporting all affected passengers & employees and are continuing to monitor the situation.”
The turbulence occurred while flight HA35 was about 30 minutes outside of Honolulu, according to the city’s emergency medical services.
Thomas Vaughan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said there had been a weather advisory posted for thunderstorms at the time of the turbulence.
“Possibly, they flew into a thunderstorm,” he said.
Livia Albeck-Ripka contributed reporting.
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