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| AIR CANADA B777-233 C-FNNH (CN 35247) File Photo |
An Air Canada flight travelling from Vancouver Canada (YVR/CYVR) to Sydney Australia (SYD/YSSY) diverted to Honolulu Hawaii after multiple people were injured due to severe Clear Air Turbulence (CAT). The plane carrying 284 passengers and crew departed Vancouver from runway 08R at 12.50am Vancouver time, but seven hours thirty three minutes in, at 36,000 feet and 600 miles south of Honolulu the flight diverted to Hawaii, touching down on runway 08L at 6.46pm Honolulu time. Thirty people were taken to hospital in Honolulu on Thursday night. Nine had severe injuries, officials say. Air Canada said the Boeing 777-200 jet "encountered sudden clear air turbulence... two hours past Hawaii". It added that it was arranging hotels in Honolulu until a new flight to Australia could be arranged. "We hit turbulence and we all hit the roof, and everything fell down... people went flying," Jess Smith, a passenger on board the flight, told local TV station KHON. "Some people that weren't strapped in their seats, you saw them rise in the air and hit their heads on the roof and everything, so it was quite intense," passengers said. "I saw the people ahead of me hitting the overhead baggage compartments and then just slamming back into their seats," added another passenger. Passengers have reported the cabin being bloodied and dented from passengers hitting the ceiling of the aircraft. A social media post from one passenger showed him wearing a neck brace in the airport, along with the caption: "Unexpected holiday in Hawaii"
What is Clear Air Turbulence?
CAT - clear air turbulence - occurs in otherwise calm, clear blue skies, without any visual indication such as clouds. It is caused when masses of air moving at different speeds meet, and can't be identified by the naked eye or conventional radar. Pilots use reports from other aircraft, passed on via air traffic control, to keep track of patches of CAT.
Aircraft Information
Airline: Air Canada
Code: AC / ACA
Aircraft: Boeing 777-233
Registration: C-FNNH
Serial Number: 35247
Engines: 2 x GE GE90-110B1L
First Flew: 18/02/2008
Age: 11Yrs 4 Mts
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