Multiple injuries aboard Air Canada flight after plane hits turbulence

About 35 passengers and crew sustained minor injuries Thursday when an Air Canada flight travelling from Toronto to Sydney, Australia, ran into severe turbulence.

Flight AC33 was about two hours past Hawaii over the Pacific Ocean following a scheduled stopover in Vancouver on Wednesday night when unforecasted and sudden turbulence triggered an emergency landing in Honolulu.

Eyewitnesses described a gut-churning drop in altitude that slammed passengers and flight attendants into the ceiling.

The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200, had 269 passengers and 15 crew members on board. Some received medical attention on arrival at the airport in Honolulu, according to Air Canada. The airline says it is arranging hotel accommodations and meals for passengers in Honolulu.