Preliminary findings of an investigation into a recent incident involving a Singapore Airlines flight revealed a sudden change in gravitational force and a 54-meter drop in altitude, resulting in injuries, as announced by Singapore's transport ministry.
The flight, SQ321 from London to Singapore, encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar, leading to the tragic death of one passenger from a suspected heart attack and causing injuries to numerous others. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew, made an emergency landing in Bangkok after being hit by extreme turbulence that caused passengers and crew to be thrown around the cabin, some even hitting the ceiling.
According to the ministry's statement, the aircraft experienced rapid changes in gravitational force, causing unbelted occupants to become airborne, followed by a rapid shift from negative 1.5G to positive 1.5G within 4 seconds, resulting in an altitude drop of 54 meters over 4.6 seconds, ultimately leading to injuries for the crew and passengers.
Additionally, the report mentioned a pilot alerting that the fasten seat belt sign had been activated.
