One Killed, 30 Injured In Singapore Airlines Turbulence

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

LONDON/BANGKOK (Worthy News) – In a rare incident, an elderly British man died, and about 30 others suffered injuries as “severe turbulence” hit a flight from London to Singapore, Singapore Airlines and other sources said.

The one person who died was a 73-year-old British man, the General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Kittipong Kittikachorn, said on Tuesday.

There were reports the man may have died of a heart attack during the turbulence.

In a statement, Singapore Airlines said flight number SQ321, which took off from Heathrow Airport in London on Monday and was headed to Singapore, “encountered severe turbulence” en route.

The Boeing 777-300ER, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, was diverted to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, where it landed at 3.45 pm (local time) on Tuesday, Worthy News learned.

On Tuesday, the plane reportedly “plunged” 6,000 feet (1.8 kilometers) over the Indian Ocean in a few minutes.

FLIGHT RADAR

During the severe turbulence, the FlightRadar 24 monitoring service reported that their data showed a drop in height.

However, “Our initial thinking is the turbulence event is prior to the standard descent from 37,000 to 31,000 feet. That appears to just be a flight level change in preparation for landing.”

It was not immediately clear whether the turbulence caused the plunging or whether the pilot tried to get out of the danger zone. Aviation experts say that, in general, jets fly too fast to jump thousands of feet.

Passengers are usually advised to keep safety belts fastened throughout the flight when seated to avoid being injured during turbulence

Footage monitored by Worthy News appeared to show an injured flight attendant fastening her seat belts near food items on the ground as severe turbulence hit the aircraft.

The airline said it is cooperating with local authorities in Thailand to provide necessary medical assistance and has dispatched a team to Bangkok to offer additional support.

OFFERING ASSISTANCE

In a statement, Singapore Airlines also offered “its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.”

The airline added, “We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing… 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.”

Experts said such injuries usually happen when passengers are not wearing a seatbelt.

The pilot was thought not to have been able to give an advanced warning as information from the weather radar may not have indicated any turbulence.

In May last year, turbulence reportedly injured several passengers on a Delhi-Sydney Air India flight.

Yet the latest incident was among the worst recent turbulence cases, causing death and injuries.

BRITISH PILOTS

Fatalities caused by turbulence are extremely rare on international scheduled flights, but severe injuries have occurred – more often to crew.

Experts said there have been fatalities on smaller private jets, although usually only when the turbulence has led to a crash.

As news about the death of the British national emerged, the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) expressed shock about the incident.

BALPA head Joji Waites said his organization “sends its thoughts to the family and friends of those affected by this event.”

Aircraft, he said, “are designed and certificated to withstand flight in severe turbulence, and pilots are trained in how to anticipate potential turbulence encounters based on weather forecasts and the aircraft’s onboard technology.”

While route weather forecasts “provide a general prediction of when turbulence is likely to occur.. they often cannot reflect actual conditions in sufficient detail to enable pilots to avoid specific instances of turbulence,” he added.

“It is important, therefore, for aircraft occupants to have their seatbelts fastened while seated should any unexpected encounters occur and comply promptly with ‘fasten seatbelt’ signs when asked to do so.”

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