A BRITISH pensioner has died after horrific turbulence hit a flight from London as passengers prepared for breakfast.
A Singapore Airlines Boeing jet plunged 7,000ft in just six minutes causing panic in the air – with passengers flung to the floor and thrown into audible lockers.
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Ceiling fittings were torn apart and pipes were exposed as the plane plummeted 7,000 feet Credit: ViralPress
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Food, drink and cutlery were strewn around the plane’s galley Credit: ViralPress
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The ceiling of a Boeing 777-300ER was torn apart during the terrible turbulenceCredit: East2West
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Injured passengers on Singapore Airlines flightCredit: East2West
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Shocking pictures show a crew member bleeding from the noseCredit: East2West
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The footage shows the dented overhead lockers where passengers hit them
Flight SQ321 took off from London Heathrow shortly after 10pm on Monday with 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board.
Almost 11 hours into the 13-hour journey to Singapore, the packed plane was torn apart by sudden “severe turbulence” while passengers were eating breakfast, officials said.
A 73-year-old British man traveling with his wife in premium economy class died of a possible heart attack as the plane plunged through stormy skies.
Another 30 were injured – including seven who were left fighting for their lives.
The flight was diverted to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport where it made an emergency landing shortly before 4 p.m. local time.
It was scheduled to land at Singapore’s Changi Airport at 6:10 p.m. local time.
The Boeing 777-300ER fell from 38,000 feet to 31,000 feet near the Andaman Sea while approaching Thailand, according to flight tracker FlightRadar24.
Shocking images showed food, drink and cutlery strewn across the plane’s kitchen as it was violently tossed around.
One passenger told Reuters that passengers who were not wearing seat belts rushed into cabins that heard when turbulence suddenly shook the plane.
Ceiling fittings were ripped apart and pipes were exposed – and a panicked flight attendant was seen with blood coming from her nose.
Scary moment Boeing passenger plane shoots FLAME from engine during takeoff in yet another safety lapse
Passengers appeared to be in shock after landing as paramedics and staff helped them off the plane in wheelchairs and on stretchers – with some wearing neck braces.
Dzafran Azmir, a 28-year-old student, said: “Suddenly the aircraft started to tilt and there was a tremor so I started preparing for what was happening.
“And very suddenly there was a very dramatic fall so that everyone who was sitting and not wearing a seat belt was immediately thrown into the ceiling.
Have you been on a Singapore Airlines flight? Call 07741005808 or email [email protected]
“Some people hit their heads on the baggage cabins above them and dented it, they hit where the lights and masks are and went right through it.”
Passenger Andrew Davies said “the flight attendants were stoic and did everything they could”.
He said there was “very little warning” of turbulence before the plane “just went down”.
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The aftermath of a panicked Singapore Airlines flight hit by ‘major’ turbulenceCredit: Twitter
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Passengers were helped off the plane in wheelchairs and on stretchers. Credit: East2West
A convoy of 13 ambulances raced to the scene in Bangkok – with pictures showing ambulances lined up on the tarmac.
The general manager of the Bangkok airport described the scene as “panic and chaos”.
He said investigators suspect an air pocket caused the severe turbulence.
A Singapore Airlines spokesman confirmed that one person had died on the plane due to “severe turbulence en route” to Singapore.
They said: “We can confirm there are injuries and one fatality on the Boeing 777-300ER.
“18 people were hospitalized, and another 12 are undergoing hospital treatment.
“The remaining passengers and crew are being examined and treated, where necessary, at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok.
“There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members on the plane.
“Singapore Airlines extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.
“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on the plane.
“We are working with local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance and are sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed.”
It is not clear whether a passenger or a crew member was killed.
Extreme tropical thunderstorms have ravaged the region this week, according to local media reports.
Deaths in turbulence are rare tragedies
From Lisa Minot, Travel Manager
The idea that turbulence can kill a flyer will strike fear into the hearts of many who have experienced it while flying.
Nervous flyers often cite the terrifying experience of turbulence as the reason they are so afraid to take to the skies. Even the most confident flyer can feel a sense of panic when the plane starts rattling and rolling.
But in reality, this is a relatively rare occurrence. In the last 15 years, there have been only 38 deaths, and another 30 passengers and 116 crew members have been seriously injured. Compare that to the more than 4.4 billion people who blow themselves up every year around the world.
Jet streams, atmospheric pressure, and storms are the most common causes of turbulence, but clear air turbulence is the most dangerous because pilots have no warning and no time to set seatbelt signs.
However, only three percent of flights have light turbulence, one percent of them have moderate episodes, and only a tenth of one percent have serious problems.
When moderate or severe turbulence results in injury, passengers who are not wearing seat belts or standing in aisles or lavatories are most at risk.
Keeping your seat belt on throughout the flight is the most sensible way to ensure that, should the worst happen, you take the best possible precautions.
Last year, five British Airways crew members suffered horrific injuries and passengers screamed in terror during severe turbulence on another Boeing 777-300ER at 30,000 feet.
One of the flight crew suffered a sprained ankle and another concussion after being thrown around the cabin after takeoff from Singapore.
Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER can accommodate up to 264 passengers and crew members.
Injuries from turbulence – changes in the air that can rock the plane – are rare.
Atmospheric pressure, air around mountains and weather fronts or storms can cause turbulence. Jet currents are also a common cause.
Boeing found itself in crisis after a series of dangerous jet failures and the death of the whistle-blowing company.
A window panel on a Boeing 737 was torn off one plane mid-flight – and a wheel fell off the bottom of another jet during takeoff.
John Barnett, a former longtime Boeing employee turned whistleblower, was found dead in his truck just days after testifying against the company, which is in the middle of a criminal investigation.
The 737 MAX, the world’s most used commercial airliner, was also grounded in countries around the world between March 2019 and December 2020.
It comes after 346 people died in two similar plane crashes, a Lion Air flight in October 2018 and an Ethiopian Airlines flight in March 2019.
Chaos to the skies: Timeline of the Boeing incidents
BOEING has found itself at the center of troubling safety reports. Here’s a timeline of the biggest incidents surrounding the American aircraft manufacturer.
March 2024 – Boeing 787 LATAM LA800 “sudden dive”
March 2024 – A wheel falls off a United Airlines Boeing 777
January 2024 – Boeing Alaska Airlines window broken
January 2024 – A Delta Airlines Boeing 747 lost its front tire
March 2019 – Fatal crash of Ethiopia Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8
October 2018 – Fatal crash of Indonesia’s Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8
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Consequences of Turbulent Violence on Singapore Airlines FlightCredit: ViralPress
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One passenger is confirmed dead and dozens injuredCredit: x/@nnhotnews
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Airport staff and emergency services prepare for the arrival of a Singapore Airlines flight in BangkokCredit: ViralPress
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Staff at the front of a Singapore Airlines flight ready to help after ‘severe turbulence’ that left one dead and dozens injuredCredit: ViralPress
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