Passenger describes severe turbulence on Air Canada flight: 'Anyone who wasn't strapped in hit the roof'
Pepper Deroy was injured when Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Sydney 'fell from the sky.'
Multiple injuries were reported on a flight that experienced turbulence near Hawaii.
The Air Canada flight was forced to divert from its original destination of Sydney, Australia, and landed in Honolulu. The crew reportedly requested that medical personnel meet the aircraft at the airport.
The plane was flying over the Pacific Ocean when it experienced “un-forecasted turbulence,” CTV News reported. The flight was two hours away from Honolulu at the time and was forced to alter its course to make an emergency landing.
The flight had originated from Toronto and was reportedly carrying 268 passengers and crew.
Fox News reported that nine people were taken to nearby hospitals. A passenger on the flight told Shepard Smith that when the plane hit the turbulence, "I never hit the roof so hard in all my life."
A spokesperson for Air Canada told CTV News, “Preliminary information indicates there are about 25 people who have sustained minor injuries. Our first priority is always the safety of our flights, passengers and crew and as a precaution, medical personnel are on standby to examine passengers. We are currently making arrangements for the passengers including hotel accommodations and meals in Honolulu, as well as options for resumption of the flight.”
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The FAA released the following statement: “Air Canada Flight 33, a Boeing 777 flying from Vancouver to Sydney, Australia, encountered turbulence at 36,000 feet approximately 600 miles southwest of Honolulu. The flight diverted to Honolulu and the crew requested medical personnel meet the aircraft at the gate. Please contact the airline for additional information.”