Legal action launched over fatal turbulence

A widow whose husband died after severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight has begun proceedings at the High Court seeking damages from the airline. Linda Kitchen, 74, from Thornbury near Bristol, broke her back during the incident, while her husband Geoff, 73, was fatally injured. She is seeking compensation to help her access specialist support for her back, as reported by the BBC and The Independent.

The incident occurred in May 2024 on flight SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore. The plane, a Boeing 178ft in under five seconds over Myanmar, as The Independent reported. The flight was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members. It was diverted to Bangkok, Thailand, for an emergency landing.

'The plane was going down'

Linda Kitchen described the terrifying moments during an interview with The Independent. She recounted: "There had been some turbulence over Europe and it had been shaky over the water, but it was around 10 hours into the flight when we encountered the main turbulence." The drop in altitude seemed to happen suddenly, she said. "I fell backwards and to the side and felt pain shooting through me."

Her husband, Geoff, fell on top of her, squashing her into the armrest. "I was screaming and somehow two passengers managed to come across and help him," she said. They moved him near the escape door, and a doctor carried out CPR. Despite those efforts, Mr Kitchen, 73, a retired insurance professional who was involved with the Thornbury Musical Theatre Group, did not survive. It is understood he suffered a heart attack after the plane suddenly dropped at high altitude, as reported by the BBC. Linda was taken to hospital while her husband was still on the plane; she was told two days later that he had died. "When I got separated from Geoff I knew he was in a bad way, but nothing prepared me for hearing he had died," she said. "It was absolutely devastating."

Claims filed by several passengers

Linda Kitchen is not alone in seeking legal action. She has filed claims at the High Court, including one on behalf of her husband's estate. Other passengers who have launched legal proceedings, as reported by The Independent, include Bradley Richards, Jack Jenkins, Hannah Fullerton, Andrew Dawood, Bryan Matthews, and Pauline and Michael Rainey. Passenger Josh Silverstone recalled: "I woke up on the floor, I didn’t realise what happened, I must’ve hit my head somewhere. There were people laying out on the floor."

Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong apologised for the "traumatic experience", as reported by The Independent. A spokesperson for the airline said they were unable to comment on matters before the courts.

Anthe Korelidou, a specialist aviation lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Linda Kitchen, said: "All Linda wants is for the most thorough investigations to be conducted."

Background and context

The flight from London Heathrow was beginning a six-week holiday Linda and Geoff had planned to Singapore, Indonesia and Australia. The turbulence struck over Myanmar. Social media images showed damage to the cabin ceiling and debris on the floor. The BBC has contacted the airline for comment.

The BBC and The Independent both note that Singapore Airlines has been contacted regarding the legal action, with the airline stating it cannot discuss matters before the courts.