Investigation: Changes in G-forces likely cause of injuries during Singapore flight | Aviation News

According to Singapore’s Ministry of Transport, the Boeing aircraft’s altitude dropped by 54 meters during the incident.

A preliminary investigation found that dozens of passengers on a Singapore Airlines flight suffered injuries due to “rapid changes” in gravity and a 54-meter elevation change.

A 73-year-old British man died last week, presumably of a heart attack, and dozens of passengers were injured when Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 encountered severe turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok.

Singapore’s Transport Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that a rapid change in G-forces would cause passengers who were not wearing seat belts to be thrown into the air.

“At 07:49:41, the vertical acceleration changed from -1.5G to +1.5G within 4 seconds. This probably caused the occupants who were still in the air to fall back down,” the ministry said, citing an examination of the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.

“The rapid changes in G-forces over a period of 4.6 seconds resulted in a decrease in altitude of 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.”

The ministry said an investigation into the incident, involving officials from Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau, U.S. regulators and Boeing, was ongoing.

Singapore Airlines said it was cooperating “fully” with the relevant authorities in investigating the incident.

“The safety and well-being of our passengers and staff is our top priority. We are committed to supporting our passengers and crew who were on board SQ321 that day, as well as their families and loved ones. This includes covering their medical and hospital expenses, as well as any additional assistance they may require,” the airline said in a statement.

Singapore Airlines announced last week that it was taking a “more cautious approach to dealing with in-flight turbulence” following the incident. This includes stopping meal service when the seatbelt sign is illuminated.