Two Canadians were onboard the plane that hit extreme turbulence that left one dead and several injured.
In a series of social media updates, Singapore Airlines stated that flight SQ321 was en route from London to Singapore when it “encountered severe turbulence” on May 20.
Channel News Asia reports that the plane encountered sudden turbulence at 37,000 feet, around 10 hours after departure.
Aviation news site FL360aero reports on X that the plane hit an air pocket, causing it to plunge around 7,000 feet.
One passenger described the experience as “absolutely terrible.”
Mochammad Ray Kahn Ariga/Shutterstock
In an interview with the BBC, British passenger Jerry said, “It was surreal, it was a little bit bumpy, and then suddenly it’s like we fell off a cliff.
“I ended up hitting my head on the ceiling, and my wife did. Some poor people were walking around and ended up doing somersaults.”
Several passengers and crew were injured, some critically, and in one case, a 73-year-old British man died of a suspected heart attack. Upon landing, the passengers and crew were given treatment, with a total of 30 people being sent to hospital.
“We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board,” reads a statement. “Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.”
FlightAware
The plane was diverted and landed at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok.
A video of the aftermath shows debris on the floor, oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling, and blood smeared across the ceiling.
This is the end result in Cabin after the Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (9V-SWM) from London to Singapore plunged around 7,000 feet after experiencing severe turbulence.#turbulence #aviation #safety https://t.co/pyjl4QrrA1 pic.twitter.com/n9Jw7PO59G
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) May 21, 2024
A shaky photo shows terrified passengers strapped to their seats as oxygen masks dangle from the ceiling above them.
Few More Visuals from the incident, where one fatality and several injuries confirmed, following severe turbulence on board Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-312(ER) aircraft (9V-SWM), that operated SQ321 from LHR to SIN, ending up diverted to Bangkok (BKK).#safety #aviation https://t.co/pyjl4QrrA1 pic.twitter.com/BwCAOAjZeo
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) May 21, 2024
The airline stated, “The nationalities of the passengers are as follows: 56 from Australia, two from Canada, one from Germany, three from India, two from Indonesia, one from Iceland, four from Ireland, one from Israel, 16 from Malaysia, two from Myanmar, 23 from New Zealand, five from the Philippines, 41 from Singapore, one from South Korea, two from Spain, 47 from the United Kingdom, and four from the United States of America.”
The airline is working with relevant authorities to investigate the incident.