Hawaiian Turbulence Mass Injuries: NTSB, Pilots Concur: “Should Have Gone Around”

The NTSB’s final report on Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35 turbulence is out, and it’s a wake-up call for Hawaii travel. Injuries to dozens of passengers and crew were caused by a split-second decision error. With abounding turbulence risks in Hawaii’s quickly changeable skies, this report highlights critical lessons for all, and especially passengers.

Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35, encountered severe turbulence near Kahului (Maui) in December 2022. At the forefront of the findings is a striking admission: the pilots acknowledged they should have “gone around” the weather cell and the plume that shot up in front of them, which resulted in dozens of injuries aboard the flight. This pivotal decision—or lack of it—played a central role in the turbulence event that left 36 people injured, 20 of whom went to the hospital.

The NTSB says that the cockpit voice recorder captured the pilots’ admission of error. This acknowledgment aligns with the NTSB’s conclusion that pilot error was the probable cause. According to today’s report, the pilots decided to fly over an observed storm cell despite sufficient meteorological information warning of potential severe weather along the flight path.

In addition, while it is now reported that the seat belt sign was on, cabin crew had not yet received a warning to take their seats when the turbulence struck suddenly. Only the lead flight attendant was aware of the circumstances and was just in the process of notifying the remaining cabin crew when the violent turbulence occurred.

Turbulence hit without warning.

The Airbus A330-200 was nearing Hawaii when a vertical weather “plume” appeared directly in front of the aircraft. Despite prior NOAA warnings regarding unstable atmospheric conditions and the potential for turbulence, the pilots chose to proceed rather than deviate around the plume. Seconds later, the plane encountered severe turbulence, described by various passengers as a “hard jolt” and a “free fall” sensation.

Some passengers and crew members without seatbelts fastened were violently thrown into the ceiling and luggage compartments before crashing back down onto the floor, resulting in injuries ranging from head trauma to severe bruises. Loose carry-on items, including phones, garments, and beverage containers, were flung across the cabin as the plane lurched. One passenger reportedly struck the ceiling face-first before being hurled to the floor.

Injuries and aircraft damage.

The turbulence caused significant injuries to passengers and crew. Honolulu Emergency Medical Services reported head injuries, lacerations, and loss of consciousness among the victims, which included at least one infant.

The aircraft cabin also sustained damage, including dislodged ceiling panels and other fixtures. Despite the extent of the injuries and damage, cabin crew and passengers worked together to provide medical assistance to those in need.

NTSB said this could have been prevented.

The NTSB indicated that the incident was preventable. Before the flight departed, the crew was advised of potential turbulence and convective activity on approach to Hawaii. In addition, weather forecasts and data during the flight continued highlighting unstable atmospheric conditions near Hawaii. The pilots observed the storm cell forming but underestimated its severity, choosing to fly over it instead of going around.

The NTSB identified the probable cause of the event: “The flight crew’s decision to fly over an observed storm cell instead of deviating around it despite sufficient meteorological information.” While the seatbelt signs were illuminated, no specific announcement about the potential for turbulence was made, which the NTSB said could have reduced the number of injuries.

The report also highlighted: “Data from the airplane’s quick access recorder showed that the airplane experienced vertical accelerations greater than 2 Gs during the turbulence encounter.” Furthermore, the final report noted, “The CVR recorded the crewmembers stating, after the turbulence encounter, that they should have ‘gone around,’ indicating that sufficient time should have been available to deviate away from the plume.”

The NTSB underscored guidance from the flight crew operating manual, which recommended that crews “consider storm cells above 35,000 ft as highly hazardous” and avoid overflying cells with tops at or above 25,000 ft to prevent encountering “stronger than expected” turbulence. The decision to overfly the storm cell, contrary to this guidance, was a contributing factor in the severe turbulence encounter.

Hawaiian Airlines’ response to the NTSB report and our article.

“At Hawaiian Airlines safety is our top priority. We regularly train our crews on significant weather avoidance, including in-air turbulence. Following Flight 35, we conducted a thorough internal review and cooperated with the NTSB to understand the factors that led the aircraft to encounter stronger than anticipated and reported turbulence. We will continue to learn as much as we can from this event. We thank our employees for their professionalism and care for our guests on the flight.” — Alex Da Silva, Director External Communications.

Lessons for Hawaii flights.

Hawaii’s weather patterns, including the Kona storm responsible for this incident, are unique and can change quickly. As the aviation and travel industry absorbs the lessons from the NTSB report below, Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35 will remain in our minds as it has caused many of us to take the seatbelt sign with even more seriousness.

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