Severe turbulence led to the death of a passenger on a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday, May 21. The airline confirmed the death and offered condolences to the family of the deceased.
Thirty other passengers were detained in the turbulence incident of the Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 which had taken off from Heathrow Airport of London on Monday, May 20, for Singapore. The flight was diverted to Bangkok.
As per reports, the Singapore Airlines airplane - a Boeing 777 - was cruising at 37,000 feet (11,300 meters) and sharply dropped down to 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) within three minutes shortly after 0800 GMT.
The aircraft stayed at 31,000 feet for just under 10 minutes before rapidly descending.
Purported videos and photos said to of the incident surfaced on social media, showing the severe turbulence and of the floor of the aircraft galley strewn with meal containers and a blanket.
"Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en-route. The aircraft diverted to Bangkok and landed at 1545hrs local time on 21 May 2024," Singapore Airlines said in a post on microblogging platform X.
"We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased," the airline added.
As per Singapore Airlines, the plane was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members.
How Has Boeing Company Responded?
The Boeing Company in a post on X stated, "We are in contact with Singapore Airlines regarding flight SQ321 and stand ready to support them..."
Thailand's Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit said Singapore would dispatch another plane later Tuesday night to transport the lightly injured and non-injured passengers to the city-state's Changi airport. He said that plane was expected to arrive in Bangkok at 9:45 p.m.
Kittipong Kittikachorn, general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, told a news conference on Tuesday night that the British man appeared to have suffered a heart attack.
Singapore Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat also extended condolences on his Facebook page. He said his ministry and Singapore's Foreign Ministry, as well as the country's Civil Aviation Authority and Changi Airport officials, along with airline staff, “are providing support to the affected passengers and their families.”
How Was The Turbulence Caused In Flight?
According to Associated Press, after tracking data captured by FlightRadar24 it was analysed that the Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet (11,300 meters).
At one point, the Boeing 777-300ER suddenly and sharply plummets to 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) over the span of some three minutes, the data shows. The aircraft then stayed at 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) for under 10 minutes before diverting and landing in Bangkok less than half an hour later.
The sharp descent in turbulence happened as the flight was over the Andaman Sea, near Myanmar. The aircraft sent a “squawk code” of 7700 at that time, an international emergency signal.
