Singapore (VNA) – A rapid change in gravitational force and a 54-metre altitude drop caused injuries on the flight of Singapore Airline that encountered sudden extreme turbulence when flying from London, the UK, to Singapore on May 21, according to preliminary findings released on May 29.
According to the Singaporean Ministry of Transport, the flight SQ321 experienced a rapid change in G (gravitational force).
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. The information was extracted from the flight data and cockpit voice recorders.
The rapid changes in G over the 4.6 seconds duration resulted in an altitude drop of 178 ft (54 metres), from 37,362 ft to 37,184 ft. This sequence of events likely caused the injuries to the crew and passengers.
Now, 45 people who were on board the flight are still in Bangkok, including 28 passengers receiving medical treatment in hospital.
Singapore Airlines expressed its condolences for the passenger who died after the incident and pledged to support all those affected by this incident. The airline is also closely coordinating with authorities to investigate the cause of the incident and ensure the safety of future flights.
The investigation team comprised Singaporean investigators, and US representatives from Boeing, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Singapore Ministry of Transport said the probe is ongoing./.
