A British man who died on board a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence has been named as Geoff Kitchen.
The 73-year-old suffered a suspected heart attack after the plane encountered a sudden drop in altitude – leading to what passengers have called scenes of “absolute terror”.
Seven other passengers were critically injured, while dozens more suffered minor injuries.
Mr Kitchen was flying on a plane travelling from London to Singapore, with some 211 passengers and 18 crew on board – including 47 people from the UK.
He was described as being “always a gentleman with the utmost honesty and integrity”, a local theatre group he helped to run said.
“It is with a heavy heart that we learn of the devastating news of the passing of our esteemed colleague and friend”, the statement from Thornbury Musical Theatre Group in South Gloucestershire said.
“He has served the group and the local community of Thornbury for over 35 years.”
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and the family at this difficult time,” it added.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said it was supporting the family of the passenger, and was in contact with local authorities.
About 10 hours into its flight, the plane encountered “sudden extreme turbulence” over Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Basin, according to an airline official.
Passengers have described chaotic scenes on board, with people and objects suddenly launched across the cabin.
One passenger said they saw people hit their heads on overhead lockers, leaving dents in them. Another said the aircraft suddenly started “tilting up” and “shaking”.
Briton Andrew Davis said he was left “covered in coffee” after the ordeal. He heard “awful screaming” and saw “things flying through the air”.
Another British man, Jerry, was on the plane as part of a journey to Australia for his son’s wedding. He said the jet “plunged” mid-flight with no warning.
He said both he and his wife hit their heads on the plane’s ceiling, and that people who were walking around “ended up doing somersaults”.
Allison Barker’s son Josh was travelling on the flight. He managed to send her a text saying: “I don’t want to scare you, but I’m on a crazy flight. The plane is making an emergency landing… I love you all.”
After that message, Allison said she waited for a “petrifying” two hours before hearing from him again.
“One minute, he was just sitting down wearing a seatbelt, the next minute, he must have blacked out because he found himself on the floor with other people,” she told the BBC.
She said Josh sustained minor injuries, but she is worried about the experience’s lasting impact on him.
The Boeing 777-300ER was diverted to Bangkok following the incident, and made an emergency landing at 15:45 local time (08:45 GMT).
Singapore Airlines said it was working with Thai authorities to provide medical assistance to passengers, and was sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional help needed.
The head of Singapore Airlines, Goh Choon Phong, has apologised, saying the airline was “very sorry for the traumatic experience” for those onboard flight SQ321.
He expressed his condolences to the family of the victim, adding that they would “render all possible assistance” to affected passengers and crew members.
The airline, he said, was “fully cooperating with relevant authorities on the investigations”.
Source: BBC
