HONOLULU (KHON2) – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on Twitter that they are currently investigating the Dec. 18 flight from Phoenix to Honolulu which resulted in serious injuries. 

According to NTSB, a recent safety report looked into turbulence-related accidents and found several safety issues that need to be addressed to improve turbulence avoidance and prevent future injuries. 

The Honolulu-bound flight from Phoenix experienced severe turbulence about 30 minutes before landing which sent at least 11 people to the hospital in serious condition. 

The Honolulu Emergency Services Director Dr. James Ireland said EMS personnel treated 36 patients at the scene. Twenty of them, ranging from adults to a 14-month-old were transported to hospitals, and eleven were in serious condition. 

The Hawaiian Airlines Executive Vice President and COO Jon Snook said they often travel through stormy weather without incidents, but this was a rare occasion. 

“There was no warning of this particular patch of air at that altitude was dangerous. It caught everyone by surprise, which is often the case,” Snook said. “There was an incident five years ago with our carrier that had a similar situation where you just don’t know it’s coming.”