KATHMANDU: A Singapore Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean, descending 6,000 feet (around 1,800 meters) in about three minutes, the airline reported on Tuesday. A British man died, possibly from a heart attack, and dozens of passengers sustained injuries, some severe. The Boeing 777 flight from London to Singapore, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew, diverted to Bangkok and landed amidst stormy weather.
Passengers described the chaos during the turbulence, with many crew members and passengers injured. Andrew Davies, a British passenger, noted that crew members were hurt, and Dzafran Azmir, a student, mentioned passengers hitting their heads on overhead cabins, causing significant damage. The incident occurred as meals were being served, resulting in seven passengers being severely injured and many others sustaining moderate injuries.
The aircraft's descent was tracked by FlightRadar24, showing it dropped from 37,000 feet to 31,000 feet over the Andaman Sea near Myanmar, sending out an emergency squawk code. Clear air turbulence, which can occur without visible weather disturbances, was identified as a likely cause of the turbulence.
This incident highlights the ongoing issue of turbulence in aviation, which has been responsible for a significant percentage of airline accidents. Previous data from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board indicated that turbulence accounted for 37.6% of accidents in commercial aviation from 2009 to 2018.
In response to the incident, Boeing extended condolences and support to Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines arranged another plane to transport passengers who could travel, which arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday night. Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau is coordinating with Thai authorities to investigate the incident.
