Damage inside Singapore Airlines flight after British man dies following severe turbulence

Singapore’s prime minister has promised a “thorough investigation” after a British man died during severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight from Heathrow Airport.

The passenger who died has been named as 73-year-old Geoffrey Kitchen, who suffered a suspected heart attack on the flight according to a spokesperson for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, where the plane was diverted.

Seven other people were seriously injured, with dozens more suffering minor injuries. Many of those injured are still being treated in Bangkok, while a relief flight carrying other passengers has now arrived in Singapore.

According to Singapore Airlines, the flight encountered “sudden extreme turbulence” over Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet about 10 hours after departure and the pilot declared a medical emergency, with flight tracking data showing the plane plummeted 6,000 feet in a matter of minutes.

Singapore Airlines’ chief executive has issued a video apology to all the passengers on board. “We are very sorry for the traumatic experience that everyone on board SQ321 went through,” Goh Choon Phong said, while offering his condolences for the death of the British passenger.

Were you on the flight? Email holly.evans@independent.co.uk

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‘Extremely kind, loving and gentle man’ – daughter’s tribute to father

Tributes continue to be paid to Geoffrey Kitchen, 73, who died when the Singapore Airlines flight from Heathrow to Singapore was hit by severe turbulence.

His cousin, Stephen Kitchen, last night told The Independent how Mr Kitchen was flying out on a six-week holiday with his wife, Linda.

He described him as a “lovely guy”.

Mr Kitchen’s daughter, Anna Proctor, who lives in Wales, has also paid tribute.

Speaking to The Telegraph, she said he was “a wonderful man and he had years ahead of him and obviously we are completely devastated”.

She added: “He was a legend.”

British man killed in severe turbulence has been named as Geoffrey Kitchen (Facebook)

Alex Ross22 May 2024 08:45

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Singapore prime minister promises ‘thorough investigation’

Singapore prime minister has promised a “thorough investigation” after a British passenger identified as Geoffrey Kitchen died during turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight.

“I also hope and pray that those who are injured will recover and return home soon,” Lawrence Wong said.

Namita Singh22 May 2024 08:23

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Turbulence happens but fatalities are rare, says aviation consultant

Aviation consultant John Strickland told the PA news agency that “turbulence happens” but even with millions of flights each year, incidents are “limited” and “fatalities are rare”.

He said: “Exposure is greater in different parts of the world.

The interior of Singapore Airline flight SQ321 is pictured after an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand, 21 May 2024 (Reuters)

“The South Atlantic, Africa and the Bay of Bengal are all places that spring to mind where there’s a greater incidence.

“There are discussions about whether climate change is influencing an increase in occurrences.”

Mr Strickland said airlines use a variety of methods to minimise the chances of a flight being affected by turbulence, such as weather forecasts, radar and reports from aircraft ahead.

Namita Singh22 May 2024 08:02

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‘Some people ended up doing somersaults,’ says a passenger

A passenger traveling on Singapore Airlines to his son’s wedding said the day was “the worst of my life”.

Speaking with a bandage covering part of his head, Jerry, identified by his first name, said: “Things were going very smoothly at first. I’d just been to the loo, came back, sat down, bit of turbulence, and suddenly the plane plunged.

Passengers of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, which made an emergency landing in Bangkok on its flight from London to Singapore, greet family members upon arrival (EPA)

“I don’t know how far, but it was a long way. (It was) so sudden, there was no warning at all, and I ended up hitting my head on the ceiling, my wife did.

“Some poor people walking around ended up doing somersaults. It was absolutely terrible, and then suddenly it stopped and it was calm again, and the staff did their best to tend to the injured people.

“There were a lot of them and some of the staff are injured themselves, so they did a sterling job.”

Namita Singh22 May 2024 07:56

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Watch: Singapore Airlines boss apologises to passengers after deadly flight

Watch: Singapore Airlines boss apologises to passengers after deadly flight

The chief executive of Singapore Airlines has recorded a video message, apologising to passengers hit by deadly turbulence on Flight SQ321. One British passenger died and dozens more were injured when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence en route from London Heathrow to Singapore on Tuesday (21 May). The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok and seven of the 30 people wounded remain in hospital there in a serious condition. “We are very sorry for the traumatic experience that everyone on board SQ321 went through,” Goh Choon Phong said in a video shared on social media by the airline.

Namita Singh22 May 2024 07:29

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Singapore Airlines chief issues video apology for passengers’ ‘traumatic experience’ on deadly flight

“We are very sorry for the traumatic experience that everyone on board SQ321 went through,” Goh Choon Phong said in a video shared on social media by the airline.

Mr Phong offered his condolences to the family of the British passenger who died on the flight, now identified as 73-year-old Geoffrey Kitchen. Mr Kitchen had been travelling with his wife for a planned tour of Asia, described by a member of the family as their “last big holiday” together.

Namita Singh22 May 2024 07:15

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Tribute paid to British man, 73, who died after turbulence

Tributes have been paid to a 73-year-old British man who died after severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight from Heathrow Airport.

The passenger, named as Geoff Kitchen, suffered a suspected heart attack on the flight, according to a spokesperson for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, where the plane was diverted to.

He added that seven other people were seriously injured, with dozens more suffering minor injuries.

Namita Singh22 May 2024 07:02

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Turbulence-related airline accidents are most common type, according to study

Turbulence-related airline accidents are the most common type, according to a 2021 study by the US National Transportation Safety Board.

From 2009 through 2018, the US agency found that turbulence accounted for more than a third of reported airline accidents and most resulted in one or more serious injuries, but no aircraft damage. The NTSB is sending representatives to support Singapore’s investigation into the incident, it said.

Singapore Airlines, which is widely recognized as one of world’s leading airlines and is a benchmark for much of the industry, has not had any major incidents in recent years.

Its last accident resulting in casualties was a flight from Singapore to Los Angeles via Taipei, where it crashed on 31 October, 2000, into construction equipment on the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport after attempting to take off from the wrong runway. The crash killed 83 of the 179 people on board.

Singapore Airlines has had seven accidents according to records by the Aviation Safety Network.

Boeing said it was in touch with Singapore Airlines and was ready to provide support. It referred further questions to the airline and local authorities.

Tara Cobham22 May 2024 07:00

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Four Irish citizens on board Singapore flight which hit severe turbulence

Four Irish people were on board a Singapore Airlines flight from London in which one person died and many others were injured when the plane hit severe turbulence.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that four Irish citizens were on the flight, but it is not yet known whether they were among the many injured people.

A department spokeswoman said: “We are aware that four Irish citizens were on board.”

Tara Cobham22 May 2024 06:00

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Briton describes screams and lacerations on chaotic flight that plunged 6,000ft in fatal turbulence

A British passenger has described the carnage onboard the Singapore flight that dropped rapidly in turbulence killing one person and injuring dozens more.

The Boeing 777-300ER plane was en route from Heathrow to Singapore carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew when it made the emergency landing in Bangkok, the airline said in a statement.

Seven of the 30 people wounded during the flight are seriously injured, Bangkok airport’s general manager told a news conference on Wednesday.

Namita Singh22 May 2024 05:42

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