A British woman whose husband died during a severe turbulence incident on a Singapore Airlines flight has launched legal proceedings against the airline, more than two years after the incident.
Linda Kitchen, 74, has filed proceedings at the UK High Court seeking damages from Singapore Airlines to help with specialist support following serious spinal injuries she suffered during the flight. Her husband, Geoff Kitchen, 73, died after the aircraft encountered severe turbulence.
The incident occurred on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321, which was travelling from London Heathrow to Singapore on May 21, 2024. The Boeing 777-300ER encountered severe turbulence while flying over Myanmar and subsequently made an emergency landing in Bangkok, Thailand.
The aircraft was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members. Geoff Kitchen died during the incident, while 79 people were injured.
Linda suffered spinal fractures and required intensive medical treatment. She was later transferred back to the UK for further care.
According to the family's lawyers, Linda was separated from her husband during the chaos inside the aircraft and learned of his death two days later while she was still receiving treatment.
Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau released its final report in May 2026. It found that the turbulence was associated with a rapidly developing storm cloud and that the aircraft's weather radar had not detected the dangerous weather conditions beforehand. The report said the pilots' actions were understandable and appropriate given the information available to them.
The investigation also noted questions surrounding the aircraft's weather radar. However, the radar manufacturer reportedly found no evidence of a malfunction when the system was tested after the incident.
Linda's case is not the only legal action arising from the SQ321 incident. Several other passengers have also begun proceedings against Singapore Airlines seeking compensation for injuries suffered during the turbulence.
Singapore Airlines has said it cannot comment on matters currently before the courts.
The legal proceedings could now examine questions surrounding the circumstances of the incident, the injuries suffered by passengers and whether additional measures could have reduced the impact of the turbulence.
