20 People Injured by Turbulence , on Hawaiian Airlines Flight.
NBC News reports that Flight 35 from Phoenix was about 30 minutes from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport when the incident occurred on Dec. 18.
278 passengers were on board and the plane was at an altitude of 36,000 feet when it hit a patch of turbulent air.
Interior panels were damaged and
multiple people endured head injuries. .
One person was knocked unconscious and another injured patient was only 14 months old. .
Although the "fasten seat belt" lights were illuminated, many people were not properly restrained, according to airline officials.
Shayne Enright, an emergency services spokesperson, said 11 people, including three flight attendants, were hospitalized in serious condition.
Others were treated at the
scene for minor issues.
Hawaiian Airlines Chief Operating Officer
Jon Snook issued a statement.
There was no warning of this particular patch of air. You just don't know when it’s coming, Jon Snook, Hawaiian Airlines Chief Operating Officer, via statement.
Snook went on to say that such a degree of turbulence hasn't affected the airline since the beginning of the century.