Seven injured after a Newark to Honolulu flight encounters unexpected turbulence

The Hawaii Department of Transportation reports that seven people were injured Saturday on a United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey to Honolulu, Hawaii. The plane encounted unexpected turbulence as it approached Honolulu. The injured include four crew members and ateenage girl with a head injury, each of which were sent to a Honolulu hospital. Two other crew members declined hospitalization. The plane landed at approximately 4 PM Hawaii time. On Saturday, parts of Hawaii were under a high-wind warning. The high winds, which caused power outages in several areas, were a likely factor in the incident. We will have more details on this story as they are made available.