Death of British man on SQ321 caused by cardiac failure resulting from severe turbulence, UK inquest hears

Mr Geoff Kitchen, 73, died on a Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 in May 2024 due to cardiac failure caused by severe turbulence, according to a UK inquest. The turbulence led to a sudden drop in altitude near Myanmar's southwestern region while the plane traveled from London's Heathrow Airport to Singapore. Dr Peter Harrowing, an expert who examined Kitchen, testified that the aircraft turbulence was responsible for Kitchen's cardiac arrest and subsequent death.

Kitchen had a history of coronary artery disease but had undergone stent surgery in April 2019 and remained in normal exercise capacity until the incident. His wife Linda suffered a broken back during the turbulence incident, and 56 other passengers sustained serious injuries, while others had minor injuries or were uninjured. The UK inquest concluded that Kitchen's death was a direct result of the physiological effects of the severe turbulence experienced on the flight.