Widow of British passenger who died after SQ321 turbulence sues Singapore Airlines

Linda Kitchen, a 74-year-old British woman, is suing Singapore Airlines (SIA) after she suffered severe spinal injuries when her husband, Geoff Kitchen, 73, died in a turbulence incident on SIA flight SQ321 in May 2024. The Kitchen family has filed two claims in Britain's High Court, with Mrs Kitchen seeking damages to aid her recovery and access specialist support, while another claim represents her husband's estate.

The incident occurred when the plane encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar while en route from London to Singapore. Linda Kitchen, who was on a six-week holiday with her husband, recounted how the aircraft felt like it was going to crash during the turbulence, causing her husband to fall on top of her before being helped by other passengers.

She was taken to a hospital in Bangkok and flown back to Bristol for further treatment, requiring significant assistance post-discharge. The Boeing 777-300ER involved in the incident was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members. The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) concluded that the turbulence was convectively induced, likely associated with a rapidly growing cloud that produced significant updrafts and downdrafts.

The aircraft's weather radar did not detect the bad weather before the turbulence struck, according to the findings. SIA has since implemented measures to improve turbulence management, including enhanced monitoring tools and refresher training for flight crews.