Investigation of turbulence in flight over Singapore shows that sharp loss of altitude caused injuries

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Preliminary results of an investigation into a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence last week showed that a rapid change in gravity and a fall of 54 metres (170 feet) caused injuries, Singapore’s Transport Ministry said on Wednesday.

One passenger died, presumably of a heart attack, and dozens were injured after Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, en route from London to Singapore, encountered what the airline described as sudden, extreme turbulence while flying over Myanmar. The ministry said an investigation was ongoing.

Flight SQ321 London-Singapore, aboard a Boeing 777-300ER with 211 passengers and 18 crew on board, had to be diverted to Bangkok for an emergency landing after the aircraft was hit by turbulence that threw passengers and crew around the cabin and hurled some against the ceiling.

“The aircraft experienced a rapid change in G-force (gravitational force)… This likely resulted in the occupants, who were not wearing seat belts, being ejected into the air,” the ministry said in a statement, citing a report by Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau.

“The vertical acceleration changed from minus 1.5 G to plus 1.5 G within 4 seconds. This probably caused the occupants who were in the air to fall back down.”

“The rapid changes in G-forces over a period of 4.6 seconds resulted in a decrease in altitude of 54 m (178 feet), from 37,362 feet to 37,184 feet. This sequence of events was the likely cause of the injuries to the crew and passengers,” it said.

The report also said a pilot was heard calling out that the seatbelt sign was on.

(Reporting by Martin Petty and Xinghui Kok; Editing by John Mair)