Aviation: more injuries from South Pacific turbulence

The Pacific is doing its best to overturn its reputation as the nice guy of oceans.

Although, technically, some of the recent injuries have been over the South China Sea, and connected bits of water including the , the Pacific is the main body of water that features.

Now an Air Canada flight out of Sydney en route to Vancouver hit severe turbulence and, according to preliminary reports, fell several thousand feet, causing passengers and effects to fly around and triggering the release of oxygen masks.

The Boeing 777-200 landed at Honalulu and several passengers were stretchered off although Air Canada says all have been discharged from hospital and are being flown to Vancouver. In total, the airline says, 15 people were injurded - although the USA's Federal Aviation Administration said that 22 made up of 19 passengers and 3 crew were injured.

The aircraft continued its flight.