Singapore Airlines: British man dies in severe turbulence
A 73-year-old British man has died, likely from a heart attack, after turbulence on a London-Singapore flight, Thai officials have said. Dozens more have been injured after passengers described people being "launched into the ceiling".
Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from Heathrow was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in Bangkok.
Seven people were critically injured and others have more minor injuries - mainly to the head, said the head of the Thai airport. The aircraft took off at 10.38pm UK time on Monday and landed in Bangkok at 3.45pm local time on Tuesday (9.45am UK time).
It was cruising at 37,000ft (11,280m) before dropping 6,000ft (1,830m) in around three minutes, according to flight tracking data. Passenger Dzafran Azmir, 28, described chaos as the turbulence hit.
"Suddenly the aircraft starts tilting up and there was shaking so I started bracing for what was happening," he said.
"And very suddenly there was a very dramatic drop so everyone seated and not wearing seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling."
He added: "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."
Kittipong Kittikachorn, the head of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, told reporters one male passenger had died of cardiac arrest.
He said about 30 people were injured, including at least one crew member, and that many passengers couldn't walk and had to be helped from the aircraft
It's believed the sudden turbulence hit while people were eating breakfast, the airport boss added. Mr Kittikachorn blamed an "air pocket" for the incident. He said some people with minor injuries had already left the hospital and were due to fly on to Singapore later.
Social media video showed ambulances surrounding the plane on the tarmac.
Singapore Airlines said it was working with Thai authorities "to provide the necessary medical assistance" and sending a team to Bangkok to provide extra help.
"Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft", it added.
Singapore is considered a standard-setter for the aviation industry and consistently tops airline awards.
Turbulence-related injuries are the most common type on passenger planes, according to a study by the US National Transportation Safety Board.
It found it was responsible for more than a third of accidents between 2009 and 2018, but no aircraft damage.
Singapore Airlines: British man dies in severe turbulence as flight from London Heathrow forced to land in Bangkok | World News | Sky News
