A flight from Phoenix to Honolulu carrying many people traveling for the holidays encountered severe turbulence shortly before landing, sending some unrestrained people and objects flying about the cabin and seriously injuring 11, officials and passengers said.

In all, 36 people received medical treatment following for bumps, bruises, cuts and nausea, said Jim Ireland, director of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services. Twenty people were taken to hospitals, including 11 in serious condition.

B次元官网网址淲e are also very happy, and we feel fortunate that there were not any deaths or other critical injuries. And weB次元官网网址檙e also very hopeful that all will recover and make a full recovery,B次元官网网址� Ireland said.

The full flight had nearly 300 people aboard and carried many passengers traveling to Hawaii for the holidays, like Jacie Hayata Ano, who was heading home.

B次元官网网址淚t was just rocky,B次元官网网址� she told . B次元官网网址淎nd then, it quickly just escalated to the point where weB次元官网网址檙e shaking so much that we were pretty much like floating off of our chairs.B次元官网网址�

Passenger Jodette Neely told NBCB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭odayB次元官网网址� show that she saw people hitting their heads on the aircraftB次元官网网址檚 ceiling.

B次元官网网址淚 was grabbing the seat in front of me, the top of it, to hang on, even though I had my seat belt on,B次元官网网址� she said.

Hawaiian Airlines Chief Operating Officer Jon Snook said such turbulence is isolated and unusual, noting that the airline hadnB次元官网网址檛 experienced anything like it in recent history. Three flight attendants were among the injured, he said.

Passenger Kaylee Reyes told that her mother had just sat down when the turbulence hit and had not had a chance to buckle her safety belt.

B次元官网网址淪he flew up and hit the ceiling,B次元官网网址� Reyes said.

Jazmin Bitanga, who was also traveling home for the holidays, said there were two drops in altitude, including one that was so strong it sent her boyfriendB次元官网网址檚 water bottle into the planeB次元官网网址檚 ceiling.

B次元官网网址淚 turned around and there was a couple of people bleeding and just bracing themselves,B次元官网网址� she told Hawaii B次元官网网址 Now. B次元官网网址淛ust all around me, there were people crying.B次元官网网址�

There was some internal damage to the aircraft during the turbulence, Snook said. The fasten-seat belts sign was on at the time, though some of those injured werenB次元官网网址檛 wearing them, he said.

Thomas Vaughan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said there had been a weather advisory for thunderstorms that included Oahu and areas that would have included the flight path at the time of the turbulence.

The airline was aware of the weather forecast and the unstable air and weather conditions, but had no warning that the particular patch of air where the turbulence occurred B次元官网网址渨as in any way dangerous,B次元官网网址� Snook said.

He didnB次元官网网址檛 know how much altitude the plane lost during the turbulence, saying that would be part of an investigation involving the National Transportation Safety Board. The planeB次元官网网址檚 flight data recorder would provide those details, he said.

The investigation would also address precisely what the passengers and crew were doing at the time, he said.

The Airbus A330-200 began its descent immediately after the turbulence, and the crew declared an emergency because of the number of injuries on board, he said. Air traffic controllers gave the flight priority to land.

The aircraft will undergo an thorough inspection and maintenance, mostly to fix components in the cabin, Snook said.

Snook said he could only speculate whether some passengers hit their heads, but that was likely based on the injuries and the damage to cabin paneling.

B次元官网网址淚f you donB次元官网网址檛 have your seat belt on, you stay where you are as the aircraft goes down, and thatB次元官网网址檚 how those injuries occur,B次元官网网址� Snook said.

The investigation will examine what other measures were taken, aside from turning on the fasten0seat belt sign, to ensure passengers were buckled in, he said.

In 2019, 37 passengers and flight crew members were injured when about two hours past Hawaii. The Boeing 777-200 was diverted to Honolulu, where the injured received treatment. Thirty people were taken to hospitals and nine had serious injuries.

Over the Atlantic, along the New York coastline. Seven crew members and three passengers were injured.

Most people associate turbulence with heavy storms. But the most dangerous type is so-called clear-air turbulence. The wind-shear phenomenon can occur in wispy cirrus clouds or even clear air near thunderstorms, as differences in temperature and pressure create powerful currents of fast-moving air.

Planes can sail into clear-air turbulence without warning.

B次元官网网址擜udrey Mcavoy, The Associated Press