Some passengers have a tendency to take their seatbelts off when the on-board seatbelt sign goes off; some keep the seatbelts on all through the flight. In the case of the turbulence-hit Singapore Airlines flight on the London-Singapore sector, the seatbelt-less passengers were “launched into the ceiling”.
A Reuters report quoted a passenger on the flight (SQ321) to create a picture of what went on inside that aircraft, a Boeing 777-300R. The turbulence resulted in the death of one passenger, a British man.
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong posted on X today that a “thorough investigation” into the incident would be conducted.
As the plane flew over Myanmar, it hit the pocket of turbulence, and extreme chaos ensued. The news agency quoted Malaysian student Dzafran Azmir as saying, “Suddenly the aircraft starts tilting up and there was shaking.”
Checking that his seatbelt was fastened, Azmir adopted the brace position that is part of general on-flight safety.
But all around him, people and things were flying up, not being anchored by seatbelts.
He told Reuters that there was “a very dramatic drop”, and so almost everyone who did not have their seatbelts fastened “was launched immediately into the ceiling”.
Azmir added, “Some people hit their heads on the baggage cabins overhead and dented it; they hit the places where lights and masks are and broke straight through it.”
Photos shared on social media show a Singapore Airlines airhostess with blood on her face from a nosebleed; and passengers seated in a stunned manner, with damaged parts of the overhead panels hanging above their seats.
All of it happened within seconds, said Azmir, speaking to Reuters. “People dropped to the ground, my phone flew out of my hand and went a couple aisles to the side, people’s shoes flung about.”
This debris-strewn plane made an emergency landing at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi. Those who did not need treatment in Thailand were brought to Singapore early today. Reuters reported that the arriving passengers were met by Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong.
In a May 22 video message, the CEO outlined the turbulence situation, and then said: “On behalf of Singapore Airlines, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.”
“We are very sorry for the traumatic experience that everyone on board SQ321 went through. Our priority is to render all possible assistance to our passengers and crew members,” added Goh Choon Phong.
He said that Singapore Airlines had “swiftly dispatched a team to Bangkok” after the plane’s emergency landing in Thailand and that this team was “helping our colleagues with the support on the ground”.
The CEO added: “We will provide updates through our social media channels as more information becomes available. Family members and loved ones of those on board SQ321 can call our hotlines for further assistance.”