Report: Plane hit by fatal turbulence dropped 178ft in 4.6 seconds

A Singapore Airlines plane hit by fatal turbulence last week dropped 178ft in just 4.6 seconds and suffered a rapid change in G-force that sent passengers into somersaults in mid-air, an early investigation has found. A 73-year-old passenger, named as musical theatre director Geoffrey Kitchen, died of a suspected heart attack and dozens were injured after flight SQ321, flying from London to Singapore, encountered what the airline described as sudden, extreme turbulence while flying over Myanmar.

The May 21 flight on a Boeing 777-300ER plane carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew diverted to Bangkok for an emergency landing after the plane was buffeted by turbulence that flung passengers and crew around the cabin, slamming some into the ceiling. ‘The aircraft experienced a rapid change in G (gravitational force). This likely resulted in the occupants who were not belted up to become airborne,’ the Singapore Transport Ministry said in a statement.

‘The vertical acceleration changed from negative 1.5G to positive 1.5G within 4 seconds. This likely resulted in the occupants who were airborne to fall back down,’ it said, citing information extracted from the flight data and cockpit voice recorders. ‘The rapid changes in G over the 4.6 seconds duration resulted in an altitude drop of 178 ft, from 37,362 ft to 37,184 ft. This sequence of events likely caused the injuries to the crew and passengers,’ it added.

Singapore Airlines said it acknowledged the report and was cooperating fully with the investigation. The airline said late on Tuesday that 42 people who were on board the flight were still in Bangkok, including 26 passengers receiving medical treatment in hospital. Among those initially hospitalised were patients with spinal cord injuries and some with brain and skull injuries, according to Thai medical officials.

The preliminary report said that upon the flight encountering slight vibrations there was an uncommanded increase in altitude, resulting in the autopilot pitching the aircraft downwards. The pilots experienced an increase in airspeed and responded by applying speed brakes. ‘While managing the airspeed… it was heard that a pilot called out that the fasten seat belt sign had been switched on,’ it said. Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines said on Wednesday it would require passengers to fasten seatbelt at all times during the flight even when the seat belt sign is off, starting from Thursday.

The company said it’s not a mandatory requirement but a precautionary measure for passenger safety. The investigation team comprised Singaporean investigators, and U.S. representatives from Boeing, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Singapore transport ministry said the probe was ongoing. Standing passengers caught out by deadly turbulence on the ill-fated were ‘doing somersaults’ as they were smashed into the cabin ceiling, a shocked passenger said.

Harrowing images taken on board showed how the cabin was littered with debris as distraught passengers tried desperately to stem the blood flowing from severe cuts and blunt force injuries. One passenger named as Jerry, who was travelling to his son’s wedding aboard the ill-fated flight SQ321, said it was ‘the worst flight of my life’. Speaking to BBC reporters with a bandage covering part of his head, he said: ‘Suddenly the plane plunged… there was no warning at all, and I ended up hitting my head on the ceiling, and my wife did. Some poor people walking around ended up doing somersaults. It was absolutely terrible.’

Tributes for Geoffrey Kitchen (pictured) poured in, in the days after it was revealed he had died of a suspected heart attack on the plane. His heartbroken daughter Anna Proctor posted on Facebook ‘Love you Dad x’ after her father, who was on his ‘last big holiday’ with his wife, died in the shocking disaster. A friend of the couple told the BBC they ‘loved to travel’ and were ‘very excited’ for the trip, which would see them embark on a cruise in Indonesia before travelling to Australia.

Lizzie Atkins also described him as ‘the most wonderful human being that you could ever know’. Ms Atkins, a fellow member of Bristol-based Thornbury musical theatre group, said: ‘He would do anything for you. He was just amazing.’ Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said: ‘He was just a remarkable man, really. He was stable and reliable, and you always knew you were in safe hands with Geoff. He had a really dry sense of humour and had a twinkle in his eye and every time you saw him you just knew that he was going to make a funny joke.’ She added: ‘He was the most wonderful human being that you could ever know, one of the top ones.’ More to follow.

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