Dozens injured after Air Canada flight headed to Australia encounters extreme turbulence

An Air Canada flight headed to Sydney from Vancouver experienced extreme turbulence on Thursday afternoon, leaving at least 35 people with minor injuries.

There were 269 passengers and 15 crew members on board the plane, which encountered "un-forecasted and sudden turbulence" when it was about two hours past Hawaii, an Air Canada spokeswoman said. Once the turbulence struck, people were slammed into the ceiling, with passenger Stephanie Beam telling The Associated Press one woman hit it with enough force that she broke the casing of an oxygen mask. Another passenger, Alex MacDonald, said the flight attendants were passing out food when the turbulence started, and "they hit the roof as well."

The plane was forced to turn around and land in Honolulu, where emergency responders were waiting. More than two dozen people were taken to hospitals, a Honolulu Emergency Services Department spokeswoman said, with injuries including bumps, bruises, neck pain, and cuts. Air Canada said it will cover hotel accommodations and food for the passengers as they work out a way to get them to Sydney.

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