20 injured on Hawaiian Airlines flight

• Twenty people on a Hawaiian Airlines flight near Honolulu were injured.
• The jetliner bucked violently in turbulence.
• Flight 35 from Phoenix, an Airbus A330, hit the unstable patch about 10:35 a.m.

Twenty people on a Hawaiian Airlines flight near Honolulu were injured when the jetliner bucked violently in turbulence, officials said.

Flight 35 from Phoenix, an Airbus A330, hit the unstable patch about 10:35 a.m., the FAA said.

The plane was full with 278 passengers, eight flight attendants, and two pilots when the incident occurred, Hawaiian Airlines officials said. Multiple people suffered head injuries.

Hawaiian Airlines COO Jon Snook said Flight 35 hit the patch at 36,000 feet.

At least some of the injured weren’t properly restrained, airlines said.

The Airbus was near the point where it would normally descend toward Honolulu, so pilots continued its approach path as they requested an emergency landing, Snook said.

Dr. James Ireland, director of Honolulu Emergency Services, said multiple emergency vehicles were on the tarmac after the Airbus landed safely.

Emergency Services described one patient as a 14-month-old baby. Another passenger was knocked unconscious, Ireland said.

Eleven of the injured are in serious condition, a spokesperson said.

Hospitalized nine. Enright said paramedics treated 16 others for minor issues like nausea.

Head injuries, cuts, bruises, and nausea were reported by officials. Three injured were flight attendants.

“There was no warning,” Snook said. “You never know”

Aircraft like the Airbus are built to withstand turbulence, but it’s hard to predict when and where it will occur.

Such turbulence hasn’t affected a Hawaiian Airlines flight since 2000, Snook said.

As a courtesy, pilots warn passengers about turbulent air. Snook

recommends diving below or climbing above the patches.

Ireland: “It’s lucky there were no deaths or critical injuries.”

FAA is probing.

The National Weather Service warned Saturday that a cold front clashing with Hawaii’s warm, tropical air could produce thunderstorms, heavy rain, powerful winds, and hail.

The turbulence occurred on the eve of the year-end holiday travel rush, when nearly 7.2 million people are expected to travel by air for out-of-town visits and vacations, according to AAA and Inrix.

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