Summary

  • Severe turbulence on Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 led to one death, several injuries, and a terrifying experience for passengers.
  • Passengers recall dramatic drop, injuries, and chaos as the Boeing 777 flew through Thai airspace.
  • Boeing and Singapore Airlines express condolences and offer support as investigation into the incident begins.

Earlier today, a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 on its way from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence. The rough air led to the death of one British national, Geoffrey Kitchen.

Related

Breaking: 1 Dead After Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 Hits Severe Turbulence

What happened?

Encountering any bit of turbulence is not a fun experience for most people, and today, what passengers on a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 felt was ‘very scary.’ Flight SQ321 was on its way from Heathrow Airport in London to Singapore Changi Airport when it experienced severe turbulence, leading to the injury of several passengers and even one death. The incident has been a focus of news outlets worldwide because of its severity.

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER

Photo: DigitalWork.be I Shutterstock

There were 211 passengers and 18 crew members on the 777; seven were critically injured, 32 passengers and crew had moderate injuries, 16 with less serious injuries were transported to the hospital, 14 with even less serious injuries were treated at the airport, and one died. The aircraft was flying over Thai airspace when it encountered turbulence. Several passengers recounted their experience to outlets like Reuters and People.

“I started bracing for what was happening, and very suddenly there was a very dramatic drop, so everyone seated and not wearing a seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling.” – Dzafran Azmir

Azmir added that overhead bins were dented and ceiling panels where oxygen masks drop from were broken as people’s heads went straight through. The BBC spoke with the mother of a passenger who received a text from her son saying he had been on a ‘crazy flight’ and the aircraft was diverting. Allison Barker said that her son was wearing a seatbelt but that from one moment to the next, he was on the ground with other people with sustained injuries.

“He’s in a lot of pain, I think he’s got some broken teeth, injuries to his mouth. But I don’t think there’s anything more serious than that.”

According to Kittipong Kittikachorn, head of Bangkok airport, Kitchen died because of probable cardiac arrest. Upon landing in Bangkok, several passengers had to be carried off the plane on stretchers. One passenger recounted seeing several injured crew members as the turbulence occurred during the breakfast service.

Statements on the incident

In response to the incident, Boeing said,

We are in contact with Singapore Airlines regarding SQ321 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the family that lost a loved one, and our thoughts are with the passengers and crew.”

Singapore Airlines said,

“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance, and sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed.”

Robert Sumwalt, former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the United States, was interviewed on CBS to speak on the investigation that will take place into the incident. Sumwalt highlighted that the first two steps of the investigation would be to interview the crew members from the aircraft and review the information from the flight data recorder. The interview can be watched in the video below.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *