Singapore Airlines turbulence dispute reaches High Court
A British widow whose husband died after severe turbulence struck a Singapore Airlines flight has launched High Court proceedings against the carrier, more than two years after the incident left dozens of passengers and crew injured.
The May 2024 Incident
Linda Kitchen, 74, from Thornbury near Bristol, is seeking damages after suffering serious spinal injuries aboard Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 while traveling from London Heathrow to Singapore in May 2024. Her husband, Geoff Kitchen, 73, died following the incident.
The Kitchens were beginning a six-week holiday to Singapore, Indonesia and Australia when SQ321 encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar on May 21, 2024. The Boeing 777-300ER was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members and was diverted to Bangkok, where it made an emergency landing so injured passengers could receive medical treatment.
Linda Kitchen said the turbulence became so severe that she thought the aircraft was going down. During the incident, Geoff fell on top of her and pinned her against a seat armrest before other passengers helped move him and a doctor on board performed CPR.
Related: APASS 2027 Aviation Safety Forum to Open in Malaysia
She was taken to hospital in Bangkok, where she spent 10 days before being flown back to Bristol. She was hospitalized for about another week in Britain and required significant assistance after being discharged. Kitchen said she learned of her husband’s death two days after the incident.
Investigation Findings
The legal action follows the publication of the final investigation into SQ321 by Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau in May 2026. According to the investigation findings, the aircraft encountered convectively induced turbulence associated with rapidly developing weather over Myanmar. The most violent part of the encounter unfolded within seconds.
Flight data showed gravitational force changing from about +1.35G to -1.5G in 0.6 seconds before swinging back to +1.5G over the following four seconds. The rapid changes sent some passengers who were not wearing seat belts airborne before they fell back into the cabin.
Investigators found that the pilots had seen no adverse weather on their navigation displays in the minutes before the incident, while visual checks indicated that the immediate flight path appeared clear. The investigation concluded that it was likely the aircraft’s weather radar did not detect the adverse weather before the turbulence struck. The radar manufacturer, however, said it found no evidence that the system had failed to detect and display weather during the flight.
The seat belt sign was switched on after the aircraft began experiencing turbulence, but severe turbulence followed just 17 seconds later, leaving no time for the crew to make a cabin announcement. Apart from Geoff Kitchen, 56 people suffered serious injuries and 23 sustained minor injuries, while 149 people were uninjured.
Related: The Most Unexpected Royal Engagements of All Time (French Focus)
Two claims have been filed by the Kitchen family, one by Linda Kitchen for her injuries and another on behalf of her husband’s estate. Court records also show that several other passengers have taken legal action against the airline.
Airline Response and Ongoing Proceedings
Singapore Airlines subsequently introduced measures aimed at strengthening turbulence management, including enhanced monitoring tools for crew, updated guidance on possible weather radar under-detection and refresher training for flight crews. The airline also offered US$10,000 to passengers who suffered minor injuries. Those with serious injuries were invited to discuss compensation based on their individual circumstances and were offered a US$25,000 advance payment to meet immediate needs.
The airline told a news outlet on August 29 that it was unable to comment on matters before the courts. Anthe Korelidou, the specialist aviation lawyer representing Linda Kitchen, said the family continues to have questions about what happened and whether more could have been done to prevent their injuries.
The family is also awaiting a coroner’s inquest into Geoff Kitchen’s death.
