The Boeing 777 plane was forced to touch down in Thailand after it left London on Monday evening at 22.17pm local time with 211 passengers and 18 crew on board
However, flight SQ321 hit extreme turbulence on route in a region currently experiencing extreme tropical thunderstorms.
A Singapore Airlines passenger has given us a glimpse of the horror on board flight SQ321 as he described how travellers were left 'screaming in pain' when they experienced extreme turbulence.
Andrew Davies, from Lewisham, London, wrote that he and other passengers who were not injured in the turbulence were currently waiting in a holding area at the airport.
According to Mr Davies, a man travelling with his wife on the flight has died.
I was on that flight and helped as much as I could. Those not injured (including me) are in a holding area at Bangkok airport. My heart goes out to the gentleman who lost his life and his poor wife. Awful experience.
Lots of people injured - including the air stewards who were stoic and did everything they could. Bangkok emergency services quick to respond. Very little warning. The seatbelt sign came on, I put on my seatbelt straightaway then the plane just dropped.
Shouted for a defribulator. Passengers with medical training helping as much as they could. CPR on the poor gentleman that passed. Another passenger laid flat in aisle further behind me. Not sure what happened with them. Wish I could have helped more.
People’s belongings scattered, coffee and water splattered the ceiling. Surreal. So many injured people. Head lascerations, bleeding ears. A lady was screaming in pain with a bad back. I couldn’t help her - just got her water.
Singapore Airlines flight 'may have hit air pocket'
Sky News are reporting that Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 may have struck an air pocket before it made an emergency landing.
Sky's Asia correspondent Cordelia Lynch said it's believed 30 people were injured when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence during a flight from London to Singapore.
There's some suggestion the flight hit an air pocket before it had to make this emergency landing.There are some images circulating on social media that show parts of the plane inside and a lot of scattered debris.
Photos have been posted on social media by accounts claiming to show the aftermath of the emergency landing with debris strewn across the aircraft.
Watch: Ambulances race to Bangkok runway after plane's emergency landing
We can now bring you footage of emergency vehicles racing to a Singapore Airlines plane as it landed in Bangkok.
Flight SQ321 was forced to make an emergency landing after the aircraft was hit by severe turbulence.
Singapore's transport minister Chee Hong Tat has said his government would help passengers affected by severe turbulence on flight SQ321 which left one passenger dead and others injured.He said in a statement on his Facebook page:
I am deeply saddened to learn about the incident onboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore.
The plane had encountered severe turbulence en-route and had to be diverted to Bangkok. Singapore Airlines has confirmed that there are injuries and one fatality on board.
Ministry of Transport, Singapore, Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport officials as well as SIA staff are providing support to the affected passengers and their families.
My deepest condolences to the family of the deceased Latest scare for Boeing after safety issues raised
A Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-312ER readies to take off from Paine Field Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013, in Everett, Wash. Singapore Airlines said on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, a person died aboard and others were injured when a London-Singapore flight encountered severe turbulence. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
While details are yet to emerge as to what exactly happened on flight SQ321, there is no suggestion the incident was the fault of the Boeing 777 aircraft.
But it does mark the latest scare involving a Boeing-manufactured aircraft in recent weeks. Questions over safety have plagued the manufacturer ever since a door plug blew out of a 737 Max on an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
The safety crisis at Boeing has led to aircraft shortages, which could cause a wave of cancellations this summer as Britons prepare for their holiday getaways.
This has not been helped by a string of incidents involving Boeing planes, with May seeing at least four - with three coming in just two days.
We can you now show you flight tracking data showing how Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 was forced to divert to Bangkok in an emergency landing.
Data obtained by Sky News shows the plane was cruising at 37,000ft (11,280m) before it dropped 6,000ft (1,830m) in around three minutes.
These photographs show emergency vehicles surrounding the flight at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok following the emergency landing.
Footage shows ambulances racing towards the runway after a passenger died and 30 others were injured on a flight from London to Singapore this afternoon forcing an emergency landing in Thailand.The Boeing 777 plane operated by Singapore Airlines left the UK on Monday evening at 22:17 local time.However, flight SQ321 reportedly experienced severe turbulence while entering airspace in the region, which is currently experiencing extreme tropical thunderstorms.The plane registered 9V-SWM was diverted to the Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) in Bangkok where it made an emergency landing shortly before 4pm local time. It had been scheduled to land at the Singapore Changi Airport at 6:10 pm local time.
Singapore Airlines released the following statement on its Facebook page after flight SQ321 landed at Bangkok in an emergency diversion.
Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en-route. The aircraft diverted to Bangkok and landed at 1545hrs local time on 21 May 2024
We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board
Singapore Airlines offers 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. We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance, and sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance neededWe will provide regular updates on our Facebook and X accountsSingapore Airlines turbulence: Everything we know so far
As we endeavour to bring you the latest updates on this developing news story, let's recap what we know so far.
A passenger was killed and others injured on a flight from London to Singapore this afternoon which was forced to make an emergency landing in Thailand.
The Boeing 777 plane operated by Singapore Airlines left the UK on Monday evening at 22.17pm local time with 211 passengers and 18 crew on board
However, flight SQ321 experienced severe turbulence while entering airspace currently experiencing extreme tropical thunderstorms
The plane - registered 9V-SWM - was diverted to the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok where it made an emergency landing at 15.45pm local time
It had been scheduled to land at the Singapore Changi Airport at 6.10pm local time
We will provide you updates as and when we get them.Our reporter Chris Jewers has the breaking news story after it emerged a passenger on a flight from London to Singapore was killed after severe turbulence.The Boeing 777 plane operated by Singapore Airlines left the UK on Monday evening at 22:17 local time, and made an emergency landing in Bangkok at around 4pm local time.
One person is dead and 30 are injured after a Singapore Airlines flight faced severe turbulence.
"We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER," said the airline in a statement. "There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board."
Flight SQ321 departed from London's Heathrow airport on a Boeing 777-300ER on Monday and was supposed to land in Singapore, but instead was diverted to Thailand at 3:45 local time on Tuesday after requesting an emergency landing.
"Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft," the airline adds. "We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance, and sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed."
