The brief feeling of weightlessness that happens in the moment after an airplane leaves the runway during takeoff is one of life’s great joys.
On the other end of the spectrum is the head jarring, arm-rest clinching, final-rites whispering fear that manages to materialize out of nowhere once a plane encounters heavy turbulence.
Just ask the men and women who traveled from Phoenix to Honolulu on Sunday aboard Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35.
While descending into Honolulu, the plane encountered a patch of turbulence that got so extreme it caused damage to the interior of the AirBus330 and tossed some passengers out of their seats and into the aircraft ceiling.
Lucky for most, the “Fasten Seatbelt” sign had already been on at the time as the plane descended to its final destination, no doubt preventing countless more injuries.
Medical personnel and first responders were on-hand to meet the plane at the airport, rushing 20 passengers to local hospitals. Of those 20 passengers, 11 were admitted in serious condition.
Among the injured was a 14-month-old child.
Inside Edition spoke with a few experts to get some tips on the best ways to fly in not-so-friendly skies, especially with younger passengers.
