A Hawaiian Airlines pilot's decision to fly over a perilous storm instead of veering around it was most likely responsible for the horrific turbulence that left dozens injured nearly two years ago.
Thirty-six fliers were injured during a flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to Honolulu on December 18, 2022, when the aircraft hit severe turbulence just 30 minutes before landing.
The frightening upheaval, which a crewmember described as a 'volcanic explosion', left 20 hospitalized - four of whom were severely injured - after the incident sent passengers flying out of their seats.
But a final accident report following a two-year investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed on Thursday that the incident could have been prevented at the hands of the pilots.
The report determined that the probable cause of the accident was the 'flight crew's decision to fly over an observed storm instead of deviating around it', despite knowing that there was a risk of severe weather on its path.
The captain initially told investigators that the conditions were smooth with clear skies before a cloud shot up vertically in front of the plane, leaving them no time to change course, according to the NTSB report.
Yet Thursday's revelations revealed the crew was aware of unstable atmospheric conditions and isolated thunderstorms.
This included having a detailed metrological report that published a bulletin for the area in which the pilots would be flying - but they decided to take the chance anyway.
A final NTSB report found that the crew that Hawaiian Airlines crew was aware of unstable atmospheric conditions and isolated thunderstorms but decided to fly through it anyway - leading to luggage spewing out of overhead bins and passengers flying out of their seats
Upon landing in Honolulu, the pilots admitted to each other that they should have went around the storm - and the 36 people injured - which ranged from 14-months of age to adults - received medical treatment for bumps, bruises, cuts, nausea and loss of consciousness
'We regularly train our crews on significant weather avoidance, including in-air turbulence,' the airline said in a statement.
'Following Flight 35, we conducted a thorough internal review and cooperated with the NTSB to understand the factors that led the aircraft to encounter stronger than anticipated and reported turbulence,' they added.
'We will continue to learn as much as we can from this event.'
Flight 35 was about half an hour from landing in Hawaii two years ago while cruising at an altitude of 36,000 feet when the seatbelt sign illuminated after the plane passed through a 'rare' pocket of turbulence.
Shortly before the horrifying incident, pilots noticed a large cloud 'moving fast' and 'building' below the aircraft but ultimately decided that the plane should 'clear most of it', according to the cockpit voice recorder.
Eventually, they decided to inform the lead flight attendant about the potential risks ahead - but the warning came far too late.
Just three seconds later, passengers were sent flying - some even describing feeling as though they were 'free falling'.
Passengers interviewed during the recent report said that they saw one person lifted from their First Class seat as the plane suddenly nosedived - sending them into a somersault before crashing back down onto the seat.
Another traveler said that she left her seat to use the bathroom and was thrown face-first into the lavatory ceiling and painfully 'thrown abruptly to the floor' before she was able to crawl back to her seat.
A final accident report into the incident determined that the probable cause of the accident was the 'flight crew's decision to fly over an observed storm instead of deviating around it', despite knowing that there was a risk of severe weather on its path
Thirty minutes before the flight was set to land in Honolulu from Phoenix, Arizona, the aircraft hit severe turbulence - leaving several people with severe injuries including brain bleeds, a broken back, a collapsed lung and broken ribs
A mother traveling with her baby felt the plane 'dive down' before her child flew out of her grip.
The aftermath of the scene looked like something out of a nightmare - panels hanging off the ceiling, oxygen masks hanging over seats, fallen luggage and damaged ceilings.
'I turned around and there was a couple of people bleeding and just bracing themselves,' Jazmin Bitanga, a passenger on the flight, told Hawaii News Now.
'Just all around me there were people crying.'
An off-duty Hawaiian Airlines pilot was met with the sight of bleeding passengers while surveying the damage, PYOK reported.
He discovered at least two flight attendants who were 'incapacitated' and a third suffering from a knee injury.
The off-duty pilot attempted to preform first aid on the passenger's injuries - which included bleeding in the brain, a broken back, a collapsed lung and ruptured spleen, severe spinal injuries, broken ribs and a broken nose.
But so many people were injured, the flight attendants ended up running out of bandages to halt the bleeding from head wounds, the off-duty pilot told the NTSB during the investigation.
The aftermath of the scene looked like something out of a nightmare and photos captured the damage to the plane itself after the incident
Panels were seen hanging off of the ceiling and oxygen masks were seen hanging over seats as flight attendants attempted first aid on those who were bleeding or suffering from other injuries
The captain initially told investigators that the conditions were smooth with clear skies before a cloud shot up vertically in front of the plane
A two-year investigation discovered that Hawaiian Airlines pilots decision to fly over a perilous storm instead of veering around it was the most likely cause for the horrific turbulence that left 36 people injured and 20 people hospitalized in December of 2022
A 'mass casualty emergency' was triggered - prompting dozens of firefighters, paramedics and the state Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Team to meet the aircraft at the gate, Hawaii News Now reported.
In all, the three dozen injured, who ranged from 14-months of age to adults, received medical treatment for bumps, bruises, cuts, nausea and loss of consciousness.
The pilots admitted to one another that they should have 'gone around' the storm following the intense turbulence, PYOK reported.
Thursday's report concluded that this admission in itself was evidence that the pilots did have the time to fly around the developing storm - despite their initial explanation into exactly what happened.