Quantcast

Singapore Airlines turbulence incident: Investigation continues one year later

Singapore Airlines turbulence incident: Investigation continues one year later
Policy
Webp singapore
Singapore Airlines | Simple Flying

More than a year after the turbulence incident involving a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER, the Singaporean authorities have provided an update on their ongoing investigation. The flight from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence, resulting in one fatality due to a heart attack.

The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of Singapore announced that components of the aircraft's weather radar system have been sent to the United States for examination and testing. "Components of the aircraft’s weather radar system have been sent for examination and tests in the US. The component examination and test report detailing the findings is still pending. The TSIB will make public its Final Report upon completion of the investigation," stated TSIB.

The preliminary findings were published on May 29th, 2024, revealing that data had been extracted from both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. According to these findings, as Flight SQ321 flew over southern Myanmar on May 21st, 2024, it likely cruised above an area with developing convective activity. This led to slight vibrations with vertical accelerations fluctuating between positive 0.44G and 1.57G for about 19 seconds.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

During this time, there was an uncommanded increase in altitude to 37,362 feet before being corrected by autopilot back down to 37,000 feet. Pilots observed an increase in airspeed and responded by deploying speed brakes before descending further after about 17 minutes.

The TSIB noted that injuries were most likely caused by rapid changes in gravitational forces experienced during turbulence when vertical acceleration shifted dramatically within seconds. After assessing passenger injuries reported by flight attendants, pilots diverted to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Following storage at Bangkok and two months at Singapore Changi Airport, the aircraft returned to service on July 27th, 2024. It has since resumed operations including flights between major international airports such as Beijing Capital International Airport and New York John F. Kennedy International Airport via Frankfurt.

Organizations Included in this History
More News

Every now and then, ambitious aircraft concepts emerge that capture attention but often do not materialize.

Jun 8, 2025

Long Beach Airport has announced a new daily nonstop service to Baltimore Washington International (BWI) through Southwest Airlines.

Jun 7, 2025

Lidl workers in Belgium initiated a strike and blockades on June 5, following similar actions in France and Italy.

Jun 6, 2025

Delta Air Lines is expanding its flight offerings for the 2025 pro football season, introducing new routes and increasing capacity to accommodate fans traveling to major games.

Jun 6, 2025

National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen addressed the U.S. House Aviation Subcommittee, emphasizing the urgent need to reform the nation's air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure.

Jun 6, 2025

Last month, over 130 volunteers from Delta Air Lines and several partner organizations collaborated to construct a new playground in College Park, Georgia.

Jun 6, 2025