The severe turbulence incident that injured dozens of passengers and crew on an Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Australia last July was both unpredictable and not the fault of anyone according to the Transportation Safety Board final report. The Boeing 777-300ER was six hours into the flight to Sydney and was west of Hawaii when it was hammered by turbulence that lasted about 10 to 15 seconds. There was no significant weather in the area and there had been no ride reports of turbulence.
The TSB report said the seatbelt sign was off and the cabin crew was preparing snack carts when the turbulence hit. Unbelted passengers and crew flew into the air, some hitting the ceiling and overhead bins on the airliner. A total of 37 people, including six crew suffered sprains, strains, cuts and bruises. The flight diverted to Hawaii, about two hours away, and crew and medical professionals who were among the passengers rendered aid to the injured. The aircraft was taken out of service but returned to the schedule after no damage was found.