Man who died on flight hit by severe turbulence was on ‘trip of a lifetime’ with wife

A 73-year-old British man who was killed on a flight from London to Singapore was on his ‘last big holiday’ with his wife who remains in hospital.

Grandfather Geoffrey Kitchen is believed to have suffered a heart attack when the Singapore Airlines flight plunged 7,000ft in just six minutes after hitting severe turbulence.

The aircraft, which was carrying 229 people, fell from 38,000ft to 31,000ft over the west coast of Burma, sending passengers hurling into ‘somersaults’ as they hit the plane’s ceiling.

Mr Kitchen, from Thornbury, Gloucestershire was pronounced dead at the scene after the plane made an emergency landing in Thailand.

His wife Linda remains in hospital although her condition is not known.

In total 71 passengers were admitted to hospital, with seven in a critical condition.

The couple had spent the weekend with their grandchildren before jetting off for their six week long ‘trip of a lifetime’ to South East Asia, Indonesia and Australia.

But 11 hours into the 13-hour flight after taking off from Heathrow, passengers have told they had little to not warning to put their seatbelts as the aircraft suddenly dropped.

Passenger Jerry, who was travelling to his son’s wedding, told the BBC the day was ‘the worst of my life’.

Speaking with a bandage covering part of his head, he said: ‘Things were going very smoothly at first. I’d just been to the loo, came back, sat down, bit of turbulence, and suddenly the plane plunged.

‘I don’t know how far, but it was a long way. (It was) so sudden, there was no warning at all, and I ended up hitting my head on the ceiling, my wife did.

‘Some poor people walking around ended up doing somersaults. It was absolutely terrible, and then suddenly it stopped and it was calm again, and the staff did their best to tend to the injured people.’

One passenger said people were ‘launched into the ceiling’ sustaining head injuries, with some reportedly bleeding from their ears.

The Boeing 777-300ER was forced to divert to Bangkok where ambulances were pictured waiting.

Mr Kitchen’s neighbour Steve Dimond, 73, told the Mirror: ‘It’s a terrible shock, he was a really nice bloke. They were a lovely couple.

‘They were very adventurous and had been planning the holiday for a long time. They spent last weekend with their grandchildren because they wouldn’t be seeing them for a while.

‘He was very fit and active. He was very involved with amateur dramatics and was helping me make scenery for our new production.

‘He was a good singer, a fine actor, he was on the committee, he loved musical theatre. He and his wife like live music, all sorts, folk jazz, everything.’

Dzafran Azmir, a 28-year-old student on board the plane, said passengers were suddenly launched upwards so hard they dented the ceiling.

He said: ‘Very suddenly there was a very dramatic drop so everyone seated and not wearing a seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling.

Passengers reported seeing pools of blood on the cabin floor.

Josh told The Times: ‘There was water everywhere, blood everywhere, people’s belongings just strewn all over the plane. ‘

‘Some people hit their heads on the [overhead lockers] and dented them; they hit the places where lights and masks are and broke straight through it.’

Pictures show rubbish strewn all over the floor with oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling.

Passenger Andrew Davies said he helped administer CPR on one passenger.

He told The Times: ‘It felt like an instant between the sign coming on and the drop.

‘During the few seconds of the plane dropping there was an awful screaming and what sounded like a thud.

‘There was a poor lady with an awful deep gash on her head and a man who wasn’t looking responsive at all. Everywhere you looked there was another injury.

‘Very quickly a call went out for people who were medically trained to help. I assisted in getting the passenger onto the floor so they could do CPR.’

A friend of Mr Kitchen paid tribute to ‘the most wonderful human being that you could ever know’.

She told the BBC’s Today programme: ‘I just can’t believe that I’m having to do this, he was the most wonderful human being that you could ever know, really one of the top ones – he was stable and reliable and you always knew you were in safe hands with Geoff, he was just a remarkable man, really.

‘He had a really dry sense of humour and he hand a twinkle in his eye, every time you saw him you just knew he was going to make a funny joke.’

Kittipong Kittikachorn, the general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, said most people suffered injuries to their heads.

He said: ‘The wife of the deceased passenger is at the hospital now.

‘Lots of passengers couldn’t walk and had to be rescued from the aircraft.

‘Some people with minor injuries have already left the hospital, ready to travel back to Singapore.’

Mr Kittikachorn added passengers were putting on their seatbelts as the turbulence hit.

Singapore Airlines said: ‘Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024 encountered severe turbulence en-route.

‘We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board.

‘Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.

‘We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance, and sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed.’

The aircraft, registered 9V-SWM, fell from 38,000ft to 31,000ft over Meinmadaung on the west coast of Burma, according to flight tracker Flightradar24.

There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board.

The plane landed at 3.45pm local time (8am GMT).

Singapore’s Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said: ‘I am deeply saddened to learn about the incident onboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore.

‘My deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.’

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