Severe Turbulence on Singapore Airlines Flight Leaves One
Dead, Others Injured
A Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore
experienced severe turbulence on Tuesday, resulting in one fatality and
multiple injuries. Flight SQ321, a Boeing 777-300ER carrying 211 passengers and
18 crew members, encountered sudden extreme turbulence, leading to its
diversion to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, where it landed at 3:45 p.m. local
time.
The fatality was a 73-year-old British passenger, who
reportedly suffered a heart attack during the turbulence. Suvarnabhumi Airport
director Kittipong Kittikachorn stated that 30 people, including passengers and
crew, sustained head injuries, with seven in critical condition.
Singapore Airlines expressed deep condolences to the
deceased's family and is assisting all affected passengers and crew. Boeing
also extended condolences and pledged support to Singapore Airlines in
investigating the incident.
Flight tracking data from FlightAware indicated that the
plane dropped rapidly from 37,000 feet to 31,000 feet within approximately five
minutes. The sudden descent occurred about 11 hours into the flight, as the
aircraft was crossing the Andaman Sea and nearing the Thai coast.
Passenger Dzafran Azmir recounted the harrowing experience,
describing how the aircraft tilted and then dramatically dropped, causing
unbelted passengers to be flung into the ceiling and overhead compartments.
Some passengers hit their heads on the baggage cabins, causing significant
damage.
Another passenger, Andrew Davies, described the chaos on
social media, highlighting the quick and calm response of the crew despite
their own injuries. He emphasized the importance of wearing seatbelts at all
times, noting that those injured were not strapped in.
In-flight turbulence, while common, rarely results in deaths
or serious injuries. However, the increasing frequency and severity of
turbulence are concerns for aviation safety. In July 2023, four passengers were
injured by turbulence on a domestic U.S. flight in Florida.
Climatologists warn that climate change may lead to more frequent and severe turbulence, especially over rapidly warming oceans. These conditions, coupled with other climate-related impacts like flooding, extreme heat, and increased precipitation, pose significant challenges for air travel.
