Plane passengers to be told to wear seatbelts for the whole of their flight after severe turbulence killed a British man

Airline passengers will be told to wear seat belts for the entire duration of their flight after heavy turbulence killed a British man last month.

Dozens of airlines are tightening their safety instructions after the death of one man at the airport Singapore Airline flight that experienced extreme turbulence while flying close to Myanmar airspace.

Safety teams are now urging passengers to always wear their seat belts during the flight, even if the seat belt sign is off. Even in light turbulence, seatbelt signs come on more quickly.

Passengers are also told to notify the crew immediately if their phone becomes stuck in their seat. The times reported.

Geoffrey Kitchen, 73, a retired musical director from outside Bristol, was killed and more than 100 passengers were hospitalized as a result of the incident.

The interior of Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 is pictured after an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport

In the aftermath of the extreme turbulence, food and drinks are spread throughout the plane

Masks hanging from the ceiling of the SQ321 flight, pictured after an emergency landing in Bangkok

Geoffrey Kitchen, 73, (pictured), a retired musical director from outside Bristol, was killed during the incident

The Boeing 777 aircraft left Britain’s Heathrow Airport on Monday, May 17, en route to Singapore, with 211 passengers and 18 crew on board.

But after about 11 hours of flight time, the plane descended sharply from an altitude of about 37,000 feet to 31,000 feet in just five minutes as it crossed the Andaman Sea and approached Thailand.

Terrified passengers have described having little warning to put on their seat belts before the plane suddenly fell.

Those not wearing seatbelts were “launched into the ceiling,” one said, as their heads hit the overhead bins.

The plane – registered as 9V-SWM – was diverted to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, where it made an emergency landing at 3.45pm local time, the airline announced on its Facebook page.

The landing was scheduled to take place at Singapore Changi Airport at 6:10 PM local time.

Ambulances were pictured on the tarmac in Bangkok next to the plane, while emergency workers carried at least one person in a stretcher.

As a result of the incident, about 21 airlines have joined the International Air Transport Association’s “turbulence awareness” program, which provides advance warning to cockpits.

Flight tracking websites showed that flight SQ321 deviated from its planned route to Singapore and instead landed at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport

Emergency workers are seen today on the airport tarmac in Thailand

In a statement on Facebook, Singapore Airlines confirmed the emergency landing and that one passenger had died in the incident.

“Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321, flying from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en route,” the airline’s statement said. ‘The plane diverted to Bangkok and landed at 3.45 pm local time.

“We can confirm that there have been injuries and one death on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board,” the report said.

“Singapore Airlines extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.

“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft,” the statement said. “We are working with local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance and are deploying a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance.”

Dzafran Azmir, a 28-year-old student on board the Singapore Airlines flight, told Reuters news agency that the plane began to shake before suddenly plummeting.

The flashing lights of emergency services can be seen at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport

A passenger was killed and 30 others injured on a flight from London to Singapore this afternoon, forcing an emergency landing in Thailand. In the photo: The plane and ambulances are seen on the tarmac of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport

In Bangkok, a person is carried off the plane on a stretcher

‘Suddenly the plane started to tilt upwards and it started shaking, so I started bracing myself for what was happening, and very suddenly there was a very dramatic drop so that anyone who was sitting and not wearing a seatbelt was immediately thrown into the ceiling launched,” he said.

‘Some people hit their heads on the overhead bins and made a dent in them. They hit the places where there are lamps and masks and broke right through them.’

Singapore’s Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said his country’s government would help the passengers and their families.

“I am deeply saddened to hear about the incident on board Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore,” he wrote on Facebook.

Speaking to the BBC, aviation expert John Strickland said injuries from flight turbulence are “relatively rare” given the number of flights operated every day.

However, severe turbulence can be dramatic and lead to serious injury or unfortunately in this case, death,” he added. ‘It is not without reason that airlines recommend loosely fastening seat belts during a long or short flight.’

According to a 2021 study from the National Transportation Safety Board, turbulence-related aircraft accidents are the most common type.