Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 left London on Monday at 10:38 p.m. local time and encountered significant turbulence along the way, according to Singapore Airlines. There were several injuries and at least one death.
The Boeing 777-300ER was diverted to Bangkok, where it touched down around 3:45 p.m. local time, carrying 211 passengers and 18 staff members.
Initially, the airline stated in a post that 30 passengers had suffered injuries during the mid-air disruption and were seeking medical attention in hospitals, with other passengers receiving outpatient care at the airport.
The only fatality was a 73-year-old British man, according to Kittipong Kittikachorn, General Manager of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
The aircraft’s inspector, Kittikachorn, told the media that he was notified ten minutes before the emergency landing. Although most of the injuries were scrapes and bruises, he said that a few people had broken arms.
According to Kittikachorn, about 200 people were waiting to board a subsequent aircraft to their destinations. A few injured passengers were transported to the neighboring Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital.
At least 71 persons, including nationals of Malaysia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Spain, the United States, and Ireland, had been hurt, the hospital reported in an update. Additionally, it stated that six persons had serious injuries. Six persons had suffered significant injuries, according to Kittikachorn’s earlier statement.
According to data from the aviation tracking website FlightRadar24, the turbulence on Singapore Airlines aircraft SQ321 happened over Myanmar at around 7:49 a.m. UTC (3:49 a.m. ET).
This is consistent with an airline statement that the aircraft “encountered sudden extreme turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin [a river in Myanmar] at 37,000 feet, about 10 hours after departure.”
In a blog post, FlightRadar24 said that, based on its data, “the flight encountered a rapid change in vertical rate, consistent with a sudden turbulence event” at that moment.
Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 was traveling at 37,000 feet when it abruptly dropped and then quickly climbed a few hundred feet before dipping and ascending once again and then eventually settling back at its cruising altitude, according to the FlightRadar24 data. The data shows that the whole interruption occurred around 90 seconds, yet it caused several injuries, including one fatality.
In a social media message, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam offered his “condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.”
The government ministries and agencies, along with SIA, are working with the authorities in Bangkok, where the plane had been diverted, to provide all those affected with help. Although we do not currently know the specifics of individuals affected, Shanmugaratnam stated.
Singapore’s Minister for Transport, Chee Hong Tat, said he was “deeply saddened to learn about the incident” in a posting on social media.
The Safety Record of Singapore Airlines and Understanding Turbulence: Risks, Impact, and Future Forecasts in Air Travel
Turbulence happens when a plane passes through colliding masses of air traveling at varying speeds.
Passengers may feel pressure from their seatbelts in mild to moderate turbulence, and loose objects may fly around the cabin.
In extreme circumstances, however, turbulence can toss passengers around the cabin, leading to serious injuries and occasionally fatalities.
A September 2022 study forecasts that clear-air turbulence would grow significantly over the globe by 2050-2080, particularly along the busiest flight routes, with the strongest kind of turbulence increasing the most.
Singapore Airlines is typically regarded as one of the world’s safest airlines.
The only other deadly incident that occurred there was on October 6, 2000, when the Boeing 747-400 on flight SQ006 crashed into the heavy rain as it took off from a restricted runway in Taiwan, killing all 83 people on board.
Boeing said that it is in contact with the Singapore Airlines and is “ready to support them.” They are deferring any further queries to the airline and local authorities.
