Severe Turbulence Injures 36 on a Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35 Airbus 330 Airplane Near Honolulu, Hawaii
December 19, 2022
On Sunday, December 18, 2022, a Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35 Airbus 330 airplane bound for Honolulu, Hawaii from Pheonix, Arizona experienced severe turbulence injuring 36 of the 288 people on board. The Airbus 330 passenger plane landed at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
According to CNN news, eleven passengers were reported to be in serious condition, and “among those transported to the hospital was a 14-month-old child.” Passenger and crew injuries included a severe “head injury, lacerations, bruising and loss of consciousness.” The unexpected turbulence happened 15 to 30 minutes before the Airbus 330 airplane landed at its destination in Honolulu, carrying 278 passengers and 10 crew members.
According to media reports, the National Weather Service had issued a weather advisory for thunderstorms northeast of Maui — which would have included the area in the flight path.
Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35 Turbulence In the Media
Preliminary Investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating the incident.
Establishing Liability in a Turbulence Case
Determining airline liability for injuries sustained by a passenger during the course of a turbulence encounter remains the focus of a great deal of litigation. For the Journal of Air Law and Commerce, Kreindler aviation attorneys produced the article, “Handling the Turbulence Case.” Litigating a turbulence case often involves a passenger or passengers being injured during an unannounced turbulence episode. These claims are typically denied, with the airline attempting to disclaim liability on one of two grounds:
- the turbulence could not have been reasonably anticipated
- the passenger failed to follow in-flight safety precautions or abide by timely warnings
Kreindler Lawyers’ Experience with Inflight Injury Cases
Kreindler attorneys have successfully handled numerous inflight injury cases, including representing many clients who were seriously injured following their flight encountering severe turbulence in the following cases:
- Spielberg v. American Airlines, Inc.
- Southwest Flight 1380
- USAir Turbulence Case
- American Eagle Airplane Weather-related Crash
- Continental Auto-Pilot Failure
- Alaska Air Cabin Depressurization
Learn more about Kreindler’s Leading Aviation Accident Law Practice.
About Kreindler & Kreindler
Kreindler is the preeminent aviation accident law firm in the world. The industry’s leading treatise for legal professionals, Aviation Accident Law, was written by the attorneys of Kreindler & Kreindler, and continues to be updated each year by the firm. Since 1950, Kreindler has fought diligently to achieve a record of success in resolving plane and helicopter crash cases on behalf of our clients, both domestic and abroad. Kreindler has law offices in New York, Boston and Los Angeles.