7 injured during severe turbulence on Hawaiian Airlines flight to Australia

By Sara Smart, CNN

(CNN) — Seven people were injured on a Hawaiian Airlines flight to Sydney, Australia, on Friday when the plane was buffeted by severe turbulence, the airline confirmed.

The turbulence struck about five hours after the plane departed from Honolulu Friday afternoon, a Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson told CNN.

When the nearly 11-hour flight landed in Sydney, airport medical personnel tended to the injured, which included passengers and crew members, the spokesperson said.

Three of the injured were released after being assessed on scene, and four others were taken for further evaluation, the airline said. Those four included one passenger and three flight attendants.

The three flight attendants have since been released, the spokesperson said. Hawaiian Airlines said it has been in contact with the passenger but was not able to provide an update on their condition as of Monday evening.

“Our immediate priority is to continue to care for our passengers and crew affected by this turbulence event, and we thank Sydney airport first responders for their swift assistance,” the airline said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident.

CNN has reached out to the National Transportation Safety Board for comment.

The incident comes months after severe turbulence on a Hawaiian Airlines flight injured 36 people flying from Arizona to Honolulu in December, requiring 20 people to be taken to emergency rooms, CNN reported.

There have been several reports of dangerous – and in one instance fatal – turbulence in recent months. In March, severe turbulence on a private jet resulted in the death of a former White House official, just days after 7 people were transported to hospitals after a separate commercial flight hit significant turbulence.

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