One dead, 30 injured in Singapore Airlines emergency landing

[theblether]

Just about every flight I have taken over the Indian Ocean has experienced turbulence. A few have been real bone-shakers, a couple were even worse. We normally get a warning, although a couple of times the turbulence has come out of nowhere. This incident is clearly an extreme example and I'm sorry for the loss of the British gentleman. His wife, who is now in hospital, must be devastated. 

 

We take too much for granted. 

[Puccini]

1 minute ago, Georgealbert said:

...The person standing on the lift appears to be wearing a AOT nurse shirt, which would confirm this.

 

I have never seen an AOT nurse shirt, but would it really have that Chinese text in the last line on the back?

 

"For reference" tells me that it is definitely not from the plane that is the subject of this topic.

[Eaglekott]

29 minutes ago, Paris333 said:

British man killed by turbulence on London to Singapore flight

I would say this is a bit misleading. I would say 73 year old British man died during turbulence by heart failure. 

Edited May 21 by Eaglekott
Age was one year wrong

[MangoKorat]

5 hours ago, dinsdale said:

From what I have read elsewhere this is completely incorrect. The death and injuries occured during flight due to severe turbulance. This article states it was "during landing" 100% wrong. Once again the "journalistic standards" on this site are up to their usual high levels. Then goes on to say the incident happened over the Indian ocean. For sure  though the death and the injuries are certainly down to not being belted up. 

Couldn't agree more.

 

The BBC are reporting a passenger as saying that there was no warning before the plane hit sudden turbulence.

 

A British man who was traveling with his family on the flight tells me how the turbulence began.

“It was probably 10 hours in the flight, so there were people walking around. And there was no sign to put the seat belts on," he says.

"There was no turbulence prior to that. It went from no turbulence to this one turbulence. No plane shaking at all and then I was hitting the roof. All of a sudden, I was up like that.

" My son was thrown down on the floor two rows behind me. I heard that there was a guy hitting the roof in the toilet and he was injured quite badly, too."

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-69044396

 

On the BBC news they've just said that the plane dropped around 6000 feet over Myanmar in just a few minutes. The passengers and crew must have been terrified.

Edited May 21 by MangoKorat

[MangoKorat]

I've literally travelled on hundreds of flights over the years - mostly long haul and often encountered turbulence however, around 10 years ago my flight from Bangkok to Phuket hit turbulence and suddenly dropped what seemed like thousands of feet. In reality it was probably hundreds of feet but it was sudden and without any warning. It scared the life out of me and I've belted up at all times ever since.

[Maestro]

28 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

...The BBC are reporting a passenger as saying that there was no warning before the plane hit sudden turbulence.

 

A British man who was traveling with his family on the flight tells me how the turbulence began.

“It was probably 10 hours in the flight, so there were people walking around. And there was no sign to put the seat belts on," he says...

 

Another source quoted a passenger saying that the seatbelt sign was on.

 

https://news.sky.com/story/images-show-inside-of-singapore-airlines-plane-after-one-killed-in-turbulence-13140773

Quote

 

Passenger Andrew Davies, who was sitting in premium economy, told Sky News he was watching a movie when the sign to fasten seatbelts lit up and the plane began plummeting.

 

 

 

 

[Paris333]

Singapore Airlines: First picture of man killed on board Boeing 777 which hit severe turbulence

 

Geoffrey Ralph Kitchen, 73, is believed to have been hurled from side-to-side when the plane was struck by treacherous conditions at 37,000ft above the Indian Ocean. The plane, bound for Singapore, had to make an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.

Source:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/breaking-singapore-airlines-first-picture-32861102?utm_source=mirror_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Mirror+-+Daily+Newsletter_newsletter&utm_content=&utm_term=&ruid=5f84e469-954e-413d-bb25-1bb3cc4fc5d8

 

 

[dinsdale]

5 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

Act of god ?  certainly not a tragedy by any stretch of the imagination

What's this god you speak of? Is this some sort of turbulence? Maybe the name of the pilot?

[dinsdale]

3 hours ago, Puccini said:

 

I have never seen an AOT nurse shirt, but would it really have that Chinese text in the last line on the back?

 

"For reference" tells me that it is definitely not from the plane that is the subject of this topic.

You either do not live in Thailand or you are very unobservant and have never heard of the Poh Teck Tung Foundation and other volunteer organisations. I think these units are from the Sawang Boriboon Foundation but I might be wrong. As for the "AOT nurse shirt" the vid you are refering to is not an AOT employee that I'm fairly certain is a Pok Teck Tung Foundation responder.

Edited May 21 by dinsdale

[dinsdale]

5 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

how many people are un-buckled to go to the loo at any given time ?

'All of a sudden I was hitting the roof'

Thanyarat Doksone

Reporting from Bangkok

A British man who was traveling with his family on the flight tells me how the turbulence began.

“It was probably 10 hours in the flight, so there were people walking around. And there was no sign to put the seat belts on," he says.

"There was no turbulence prior to that. It went from no turbulence to this one turbulence. No plane shaking at all and then I was hitting the roof. All of a sudden, I was up like that.

"My son was thrown down on the floor two rows behind me. I heard that there was a guy hitting the roof in the toilet and he was injured quite badly, too."

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-69044396

Edited May 21 by dinsdale

[webfact]

British Man Dies After Singapore Airlines Makes Emergency Landing in Bangkok

 

Picture courtesy: Mirror

 

A British man has tragically died after a Singapore Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport Tuesday afternoon. 

 

The incident occurred on flight SQ321, a Boeing 777-300ER, travelling from London to Singapore. As the aircraft flew through Thai airspace, it was hit by intense turbulence. According to Mr. Kittiphong Kittikachorn, Suvarnabhumi Airport’s general manager, the pilot requested an emergency landing and touched down safely at 3.50 p.m.

 

Upon landing, airport authorities quickly implemented their emergency response plan. Medical teams were dispatched to the aircraft to assess the situation. Unfortunately, a 73-year-old British passenger was found unresponsive and was later confirmed dead, with initial reports suggesting a heart attack as the cause. A detailed autopsy will be conducted to confirm this.

 

The turbulence left many others injured. Reports indicate that seven passengers suffered critical injuries, with an additional 23 sustaining moderate injuries. Among the crew, nine members were moderately injured, and 16 experienced minor injuries. Fourteen individuals were held in a lounge area, while the more seriously injured were transported to Samitivej Hospital for treatment.

 

To assist stranded passengers, another aircraft is being dispatched from Singapore’s Changi Airport, expected to arrive between 9.45 and 10 p.m. to ferry approximately 200 passengers to their original destination.

 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is questioning the pilot to determine the exact cause of the emergency. Preliminary findings suggest the aircraft encountered an air pocket, resulting in the severe turbulence that led to the crisis.

 

 

-- 2024-05-22

 

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[webfact]

Second passenger on Singapore Airlines flight dies in hospital after Tuesday’s emergency landing incident
by News Desk

 

Dozens of ambulances whisk 30 passengers off Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321, which landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 3:45 pm on Tuesday afternoon. One deceased passenger was left behind on the damaged plane, while a second died in the hospital at 5:25 pm.

A second passenger has died following the emergency landing of a Singapore Airlines flight in Bangkok on Tuesday. Aircraft appears to have suffered serious turbulence over Burma causing it to rapidly drop altitude. This caused chaos and pandemonium in the passenger cabin.

A second passenger has died following the emergency landing of a Singapore Airlines flight in Bangkok on Tuesday. The passenger passed away in a Thai hospital over an hour after being transported in a fleet of ambulances from the damaged airplane, where the body of a 73-year-old British man, another passenger, was left after the flight was safely evacuated by authorities.

 

It is understood that Flight SQ321, en route from London to Singapore, hit severe turbulence over Burma. In short, after trying to deal with what now appears to have been an extremely violent incident at high altitude for over 15 minutes, the flight radioed Bangkok and executed the diversion. Afterwards, the plane showed signs of damage or tearing to its wing after landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Samut Prakan.

 

Thailand’s Minister of Transport, on Tuesday evening, said that everything was being done to assist traumatised passengers off a Singapore Airlines flight which made an emergency landing earlier in the afternoon.

 

Full story: Thai Examiner.com 2024-05-22

 

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[Puccini]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

You either do not live in Thailand or you are very unobservant and have never heard of the Poh Teck Tung Foundation and other volunteer organisations. I think these units are from the Sawang Boriboon Foundation but I might be wrong. As for the "AOT nurse shirt" the vid you are refering to is not an AOT employee that I'm fairly certain is a Pok Teck Tung Foundation responder.

 

What would an employee or volunteer of the Poh Teck Tung Foundation or the Sawang Boriboon Foundation do in in an aeroplane that did an emergency landing at BKK (Suvarnabhumi airport)? This was not a road traffic accident.

[mania]

8 hours ago, impulse said:

the Singapore Airlines flight cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet (11,300 meters). Just after 0800 GMT, the Boeing 777 suddenly and sharply pitched down to 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) over the span of some three minutes, the data shows.

 

Hopefully more info on this.. But I'm sure anything is possible with weather

Edited May 21 by mania

[Presnock]

7 hours ago, dinsdale said:

I understand your trying to be facetious because that's what you do but on a 777-300ER there are 9 toilets. If each is occupied and there are other people waiting it can be quite a few. Of course then you have people walking to and from toilets and others who are simply not buckled up. Added to this you have the cabin crew. Due to the large number of injuries and one or more fatalities I would assume that this turbulence was not detected by the onboard equipment, no turbulence warnings given by the pilot and the buckle-up signs were not on. 

WELL,  if you look at the radar picture and were around for the "summer" storms in the Thai and Myanmar area plus flying over the 2 cyclones, I having flown several thousand hours in the AF during the VN war in this region, these thunderstorms go quite high and the turbulence can be quite violent.  Even experienced flyers (like me) can be scared (like me) by these turbulances.  I recall one civil flight from NKP to BKK where the food carts were zooming down the aisles totally out of anyone's control smashing into the seats and panels at the ends of the aisles.  There were quite a few "trainee" sterwardesses on the flight too and about ten monks - once the turbulence was over, all of the trainees kneeled in front of the monks who were chanting the entire time.  sorry for the death and injuries others suffered and hope people do keep their seat belts on as much as possible when flying anywhere as it seems turbulence is getting worse as we read these stories quite regularly now.

[smedly]

8 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Note to self, wear your seatbelt on the plane.

when cruising it doesn't have be restrictive or tight just enough to stop you leaving the seat, hardly noticeable you have it buckled 

 

very strange the pilots were not aware of impending turbulence and turned the seatbelt sign on !!!

[nglodnig]

8 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Note to self, wear your seatbelt on the plane.

I always do and will continue to do so after reading this.

[nglodnig]

7 minutes ago, smedly said:

very strange the pilots were not aware of impending turbulence and turned the seatbelt sign on !!!

If it's CAT (Clear Air Turbulence) they don't see it (it's not on radar) until they hit and then it's too late.

Edited May 21 by nglodnig
spellink correktions

[Georgealbert]

Singapore Airline update 3.

[SAFETY FIRST]

23 minutes ago, smedly said:

 

very strange the pilots were not aware of impending turbulence and turned the seatbelt sign on !!!

There was a similar incident flight departing New Zealand recently. 

 

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/cockpit-accident-believed-cause-nose-dive-latam-boeing-787-wsj

 

 

It was blamed on turbulence, several injuries but later after the computer files downloaded (black box) it was found there was an accident in the cabin by one of the flight crew. 

 

Edited May 21 by SAFETY FIRST

[MangoKorat]

3 hours ago, Maestro said:

 

Another source quoted a passenger saying that the seatbelt sign was on.

 

https://news.sky.com/story/images-show-inside-of-singapore-airlines-plane-after-one-killed-in-turbulence-13140773

 

 

 

The way he reports it appears to point to the light coming on and the plane diving immediately:

 

'Passenger Andrew Davies, who was sitting in premium economy, told Sky News he was watching a movie when the sign to fasten seatbelts lit up and the plane began plummeting.'

 

So it could be that both versions are true - each in their own way.  Other stories report that many passehgers were milling around and breakfast was being served.  In my experience airline staff continue serving during slight turbulence but the captain tells them to belt up when things get rough.

 

I'm guessing but it could be that the flight recorder will establish exactly what happened and there will be several enquiries where those findings will be aired.

 

I've actually been in an incident where turbulence came on without warning - mine was much lesser than this one but it was very scary, you can actually feel the plane dropping and you wonder how the captain can possibly have any control.

[Georgealbert]

53 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

He is definitely more useful and knowledgeable than you

Thank you, I try to post information and facts that I know are correct or verified. When i make my own assessment of any information, I say that it only my suggestions.

[Georgealbert]

It appears that CAAT (Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand) will be leading the investigation into this incident.
 

The Singapore Transport Ministry has said that The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) will be deploying investigators to Bangkok, as the airline is from Singapore.

 

American National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also confirm an investigation team is being sent to Bangkok, as it is a Boeing aircraft.

 

 

[IgboChief]

Kudos and compliments to the captain who stabilized the plane and landed it safely! Kudos and compliments to the crew, who took injuries and still had to manage the cabin and the guests! Having Platinum status on One World, I say: you are all (my) heroes!

[Georgealbert]

7 hours ago, Puccini said:

 

I have never seen an AOT nurse shirt, but would it really have that Chinese text in the last line on the back?

 

"For reference" tells me that it is definitely not from the plane that is the subject of this topic.

The picture was not in the original post, but added later when more information and pictures became available.

 

This picture can also be found on The Aviation Herald, link in another post above, which is an aircraft accident site.

 

Your obsession with this picture is not really adding anything constructive to the thread.

Edited May 21 by Georgealbert

[kimamey]

9 hours ago, John Drake said:

Nightmarish. A reminder to remain buckled into your seatbelt.

 

I always do. The problem is those who don't can end up causing injury to those who do.

 

It's the same with the idiots who unfasten their belts just after touchdown, sometimes whilst the plane is still braking. Even as the plane taxis to the gate it can hit something.

[CanadaSam]

10 hours ago, impulse said:

Tracking data captured by FlightRadar24 and analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Singapore Airlines flight cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet (11,300 meters). Just after 0800 GMT, the Boeing 777 suddenly and sharply pitched down to 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) over the span of some three minutes, the data shows.

 

Something wrong here.  It says the aircraft descended only 6000 feet in 3 minutes.

 

Well within normal parameters, apparently. 

 

I'd like to know exactly what happened, perhaps something akin to a "microburst" or wind shear for only a few seconds doing all the damage, and then an intential descent by the pilot?  Dunno. 

 

[Georgealbert]

7 minutes ago, thestat said:

Perhaps you did not read below the initial photo given for this incident... so this photo is not real from the story OP.. At least that is what I think. It is a stock photo taken from online. 

File photo for reference only. Courtesy of Google

 

It is not a shock picture, it was added after the original thread was started.

 

Look at the The Aviation Herald website, a reliable aviation accident site, link in another post above and the picture is there.

Edited May 21 by Georgealbert

[chinajohn69]

5 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

Couldn't agree more.

 

The BBC are reporting a passenger as saying that there was no warning before the plane hit sudden turbulence.

 

A British man who was traveling with his family on the flight tells me how the turbulence began.

“It was probably 10 hours in the flight, so there were people walking around. And there was no sign to put the seat belts on," he says.

"There was no turbulence prior to that. It went from no turbulence to this one turbulence. No plane shaking at all and then I was hitting the roof. All of a sudden, I was up like that.

" My son was thrown down on the floor two rows behind me. I heard that there was a guy hitting the roof in the toilet and he was injured quite badly, too."

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-69044396

 

On the BBC news they've just said that the plane dropped around 6000 feet over Myanmar in just a few minutes. The passengers and crew must have been terrified.

 

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, Stocky said:

Dzafran Azmir, 28, told Reuters:

"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 seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling. 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."

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/may/21/singapore-airlines-flight-777-300er-london-bangkok-turbulence

 

.

When the signal from the pilot says buckle up... it's best to do so.