During a recent flight from Honolulu to Sydney, a Hawaiian Airlines plane encountered severe turbulence, resulting in the need for medical assistance for at least seven individuals on board. The incident occurred approximately five hours into the flight and involved a total of 163 passengers and 12 crew members. Following a safe landing in Sydney, the aircraft underwent a thorough inspection.
According to reports from Hawaii News Now, four passengers and three flight attendants required medical attention from a doctor who happened to be on board the flight. Requests for an update from airline representatives have yet to be answered, as emails seeking information remain unanswered.
Passenger Sultan Baskonyali recounted the terrifying experience, stating that the plane suddenly dropped without warning, leaving everyone unprepared. She vividly described a man being propelled upward, hitting his head on the ceiling, and subsequently plummeting back down.
This incident brings to mind a similar occurrence last year when severe turbulence caused injuries to 25 people on a different Hawaiian Airlines flight. During that flight from Phoenix to Honolulu on December 18, the captain informed investigators that the weather conditions were initially calm, with clear skies. However, a cloud suddenly emerged in front of the plane, leaving no time for the crew to alter the course. As a result, four passengers and two crew members sustained serious injuries, while the aircraft sustained minor damage.
Hawaiian Airlines’ Chief Operating Officer, Jon Snook, emphasized the rarity of such turbulence, noting that the airline had not encountered anything of this nature in recent history. The incident happened approximately 40 minutes before landing in Honolulu, as indicated by the National Transportation Safety Board’s report. Despite the seat belt sign being illuminated at the time, some of the injured individuals were not wearing their seat belts, according to Snook’s statement.