Singapore Airlines death: Briton describes screams and lacerations on chaotic flight that plunged 6,000ft in fatal turbulence
A British passenger has described the carnage onboard the Singapore flight that dropped rapidly in turbulence killing one person and injuring dozens more.
The Boeing 777-300ER plane was en route from Heathrow to Singapore carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew when it made the emergency landing in Bangkok, the airline said in a statement. Seven of the 30 people wounded during the flight are seriously injured, Bangkok airport’s general manager told a news conference on Wednesday.
Passenger Andrew Davies, from Lewisham, south London, has described passengers performing CPR on a “poor gentleman” and calling for a defibrillator.
He told Sky News that the seatbelt sign came on moments before the fall, adding: “The plane just dropped. It was an extremely surreal experience.
“Suddenly people’s belongings, cushions, teacups, plates you name it, were hurtling through the cabin. I can’t answer how long it happened for people say three minutes.”
“Passengers with medical training helping as much as they could,” he posted on X. “CPR on the poor gentleman that passed,” he said adding that they had “shouted for a defibrillator.
“Another passenger laid flat in aisle further behind me. Not sure what happened with them. Wish I could have helped more.”
He warned: “Lesson is – wear a seatbelt at ALL TIMES. Anyone who is injured was not wearing a seatbelt. People who kept them on (including me) are not (as far as I could tell).
“People’s belongings scattered, coffee and water splattered the ceiling. Surreal. So many injured people – head lacerations, bleeding ears. A lady was screaming in pain with a bad back. I couldn’t help her – just got her water.”
He said that when the plane landed “Bangkok emergency services [were] quick to respond. Very little warning.”
Dzafran Azmir, a 28-year-old student also on board said: “Suddenly the aircraft starts tilting up and there was shaking so I started bracing for what was happening, and very suddenly there was a very dramatic drop so everyone seated and not wearing a seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling.
“Some people hit their heads on the baggage cabins overhead and dented it, they hit the places where lights and masks are and broke straight through it,” he said.
The spokesperson for FlightRadar 24 said with regard to data showing a drop in height, “our initial thinking is the turbulence event is prior to the standard descent from 37,000 to 31,000 feet. That appears to just be a flight level change in preparation for landing.”
“Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. We deeply apologise for the traumatic experience that our passengers and crew members suffered on this flight,” the airline said, adding it was working with Thai authorities to provide all necessary assistance.