Turbulence on Hawaii-bound plane causes injuries

Authorities said 36 people received treatment after severe turbulence rocked a full Hawaiian Airlines flight on Sunday. The Airbus A330-200 that left Phoenix, Ariz., was about 30 minutes outside Honolulu when the turbulence hit. Jim Ireland, director of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, said responders rushed 20 people from the flight to hospitals. They included 11 passengers in serious condition. Some passengers got cuts, bumps, and bruises, while others suffered nausea from the extreme motion.

Was the turbulence expected? Thomas Vaughan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said Oahu and other areas along the flight’s path faced a weather advisory for thunderstorms. Snook said the airline was aware of the forecast but didn’t get any warning that the particular patch of air where the turbulence occurred “was in any way dangerous.” An investigation with the National Transportation Safety Board will look through the flight’s data recorder and examine what other measures the crew enforced besides turning on the fasten seatbelt sign.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archive, read Kyle Ziemnick’s report on Boeing’s response to issues with its 737 Max jets.