According to a statement from Singapore Airlines, Flight SQ321 took off from Heathrow Airport on Monday evening, carrying a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members. While flying over the Bay of Bengal near Thailand on Tuesday, the aircraft encountered a bout of “severe turbulence” resulting in a death of one person on board. Several people on the plane were injured.
According to FlightRadar24, the large aircraft descended from 37,000 feet (11,278 meters) to 31,000 feet (9,449 meters) within approximately three minutes as it approached the coast of Thailand.
The Boeing 777 had to change its course to Bangkok and was forced to make an emergency landing, shortly before 4pm local time.
In its official statement, Singapore Airlines confirmed that there were multiple injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. The carrier offered its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.
Turbulence is a phenomenon that is difficult to predict due to various factors. Turbulence can be caused by rolling air currents over mountains, jet streams, and tropical storms, all of which can disturb the peaceful flow of air. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) categorizes turbulence into four levels, ranging from ‘light’ to ‘extreme’. In instances of ‘severe’ turbulence, the aircraft may undergo sudden changes in altitude and/or attitude, potentially leading to brief periods where the pilot loses control, as stated by the NOAA.
Although the Boeing 777 and other contemporary aircraft are engineered to endure even the most severe turbulence, it remains perilous for passengers who neglect to fasten their seatbelts.
Last time Singapore Airlines experienced a tragic incident, involving fatalities was in 2000, when one of its Boeing 747s crashed during takeoff at Taiwan’s Chiang Kai-shek Airport. The runway was closed due to a typhoon, and the aircraft collided with construction equipment on the runway. This devastating accident resulted in the loss of 79 passengers and four crew members.
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