One person died and 30 people were injured aboard a Singapore Airlines flight that was hit by severe turbulence and forced to land in Thailand, the carrier said Tuesday.
Singapore Airlines Flight 321 encountered “sudden, severe turbulence” about 10 hours into a Singapore-bound flight from London Heathrow, the airline said. The plane, a Boeing 777-300ER, was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members.
The jet fell into an air pocket over Thai airspace and requested to land at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Kittipong Kittikachorn, general manager of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport, told a news conference, according to Reuters.
The deceased person is a 73-year-old British national, who likely suffered a heart attack, Reuters reported, citing Kittikachorn.
Singapore Airlines said 18 people were hospitalized and that 12 were being treated in hospitals.
“The remaining passengers and crew are being examined and given treatment, where necessary, at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok,” the airline said.
There were severe thunderstorms in the area at the time and the “flight encountered a rapid change in vertical rate, consistent with a sudden turbulence event,” according to flight-tracking platform Flightradar24.
Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau said that it will deploy investigators to Singapore and that it is in touch with its counterparts in Thailand.
“Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. We deeply apologise for the traumatic experience that our passengers and crew members suffered on this flight. We are providing all necessary assistance during this difficult time,” the carrier said in a Facebook post.
Boeing said it was in contact with Singapore Airlines about the flight and was ready to offer support. Singapore received the aircraft in 2008, according to Flightradar24.
The Aviation Safety Network has recorded seven incidents for Singapore Airlines, last logging accident fatalities for one of the company’s flights in October 2000, when 83 people were killed when the plane crashed into construction equipment at Tapei’s main airport.
Turbulence-related incidents are the most common type of accident suffered by commercial airlines, according to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. This covers major U.S. airlines, as well as cargo aircraft and regional carriers.
Severe injuries from turbulence are rare, however, with 163 cases recorded between 2009 and 2022, 129 of them crew members, according to the NTSB.
Dozens of injuries were reported on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu in December 2022 that encountered severe turbulence.
Source: CNBC