Preliminary findings of an investigation into a Singapore Airlines flight hit by deadly turbulence last week has been released and it showed that a rapid change in gravitational force and a 54-metre altitude drop had been the cause of the injuries that several passengers had sustained.
A 73-year-old passenger had died of an alleged heart attack during this flight. It was said that flight SQ321, flying from London to Singapore, encountered what the airline described as sudden, extreme turbulence while flying over Myanmar.
Images of the cabin seen in the report revealed that gashes in the overhead cabin panels, oxygen masks and panels hanging from the ceiling and various luggages strewn about.
One passenger had even claimed that some people’s heads had slammed into lights above the seats breaking the panels in the process.
Singapore Airlines has meanwhile, said it acknowledged the report and was collaborating fully with the investigation.
What They’re Saying:
The released statement by the Singapore Transport Ministry read:
“The aircraft experienced a rapid change in G (gravitational force). This likely resulted to the injuries that occupants who were not belted up to sustained.”
“The vertical acceleration changed from negative 1.5G to positive 1.5G within 4 seconds. This likely resulted in the occupants who were airborne to fall back down,” it said, citing information extracted from the flight data and cockpit voice recorders.” The statement continued.
“The rapid changes in G over the 4.6 seconds duration resulted in an altitude drop of 178 ft (54 m), from 37,362 ft to 37,184 ft. This sequence of events likely caused the injuries to the crew and passengers,” it added.
