Passengers on SIA flight endure 62 seconds of severe turbulence on May 21 | World News

Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 experienced a terrifying ordeal on Tuesday as it flew over the Irrawaddy Delta region of Myanmar, leaving one passenger dead and dozens injured. The Boeing 777-300ER encountered severe turbulence, causing the aircraft to climb and descend rapidly twice in just 62 seconds.

The flight, en route from London to Singapore, was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members when it hit turbulence during the breakfast service. The pilot declared a medical emergency and diverted the plane to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, where it made an emergency landing.

Granular flight data from Flightradar24 revealed that the plane climbed from 37,000 feet to 37,400 feet before dropping to 36,975 feet in a matter of seconds. This rapid transition between climb and descent, caused by the turbulence, created chaos in the cabin.

Passengers reported being thrown onto the cabin roof, with one Australian passenger describing how she was abruptly woken up as she was tossed from the ceiling to the floor. The G-force data captured by the quick access recorder onboard the aircraft showed the extreme fluctuations in altitude and speed.

Investigations are currently underway by Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau to determine the cause of the incident. The United States National Transportation Safety Board’s data highlighted the importance of seatbelts during turbulence-related accidents, with passengers who were not belted up being at a higher risk of injury.

The harrowing experience on Flight SQ321 serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of air travel and the importance of safety measures during flights.