Singapore Airlines turbulence: What happened on board flight SQ321 where one British man died during 'severe turbulence'?

The aircraft hit ‘severe turbulence’ in the air between London and Singapore

A British man has died and others have been injured after a flight from the UK to Singapore was hit by severe turbulence.

The man, aged 73, is said to have died after the aircraft, which was travelling from Heathrow Airport, suffered a sudden drop and passengers who were not wearing seatbelts were propelled into the air.

Reports claimed the man suffered a heart attack during the incident. However, this has not been confirmed.

Images posted on social media show damage to the ceiling of the cabin, and food, cutlery and other debris strewn on the floor in the aftermath of the incident.

The flight, operated by a Boeing 777-300ER jet, departed at 10.17pm on Monday and was diverted to Bangkok, landing at 3.45pm local time on Tuesday, with 211 passengers on board.

What have passengers said about the Singapore Airlines flight?

Student Dzafran Azmir, 28, who was on the flight, said: “Suddenly the aircraft starts tilting up and there was shaking, so 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.

Ambulances wait to carry passengers from a London-Singapore flight that encountered severe turbulence, after it landed in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Some people hit their heads on the baggage cabins overhead and dented it. They hit the places where lights and masks are and broke straight through it.”

A statement from 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.”

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Why did the incident happen?

Aviation consultant John Strickland said “turbulence happens”, but with millions of flights operated each year, incidents are “limited” and “fatalities are rare”.

He said: “Exposure is greater in different parts of the world. 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 added: “It can never be taken lightly when airlines recommended you keep the seatbelt loosely fastened throughout the flight.”

What was the suspected cause of death?

Kittipong Kittikachorn, general manager of Suvarnabhumi airport in Thailand, where the plane landed, said he believed the man had suffered a heart attack.

He said: “I confirm the death toll is one person. We learned he had a heart condition. The death is now to be subject to an autopsy, but we think it could be caused by a heart attack. The deceased was a British national, 73 years old. The police has taken over the case and the body will be sent to autopsy department then they will contact the embassy.”

A Singapore Airlines spokesman said the aircraft had “encountered severe turbulence en-route” before diverting to Bangkok.

He said: “We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board.

“Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.”