Wife of British man who died on turbulence-hit SQ321 sues Singapore Airlines

The wife of Geoffrey Kitchen, a 73-year-old British man who died after severe turbulence on board Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 in May 2024, is suing the airline.

The BBC reported on Friday (Aug 28) that Linda Kitchen, 74, from Thornbury near Bristol, has begun High Court proceedings in the United Kingdom.

She was on board the flight from London to Singapore with Geoffrey and is seeking damages to access specialist support for her back, which was injured in the same event.

The flight encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar and diverted to Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.

"There had been some turbulence over Europe, and it had been shaky over the water, but it was around 10 hours into the flight when we encountered the main turbulence," Linda told the BBC. 

"It was so severe; it felt like the aircraft was dropping. I noticed my Kindle and Geoff's phone had fallen to the floor, and I thought the plane was going down."

She said that during the turbulence, Geoffrey fell on her, pinning her to the armrest.

Others eventually moved him and a doctor started performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him.

The general manager at the Bangkok airport previously stated that it was likely that Geoffrey died of a heart attack during the incident.

Linda was taken to hospital while her husband was still on board the flight, she told the BBC, and she was only informed two days later that he had died.

She said that she knew her husband was "in a bad way" when they were separated, "but nothing prepared [her] for hearing that he died", and it was "absolutely devastating".

"I spent 10 days in hospital before I was airlifted back to Bristol. I was in so much pain that the journey was a blur," she added. 

"Once back in the UK, I remained in hospital for around a week and, following my discharge, required significant assistance at home."

Anthe Korelidou, the specialist aviation lawyer representing Linda, said that, while it has been over two years since Geoff died, Linda and her family "continue to have a number of questions and concerns" about the incident and whether something more could be done to prevent their injuries.

"All Linda wants is for the most thorough investigations to be conducted. The issuing of High Court proceedings is a major milestone in being able to provide Geoff's loved ones with the answers they deserve."

The SQ321 flight was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members. It was diverted to Bangkok following the turbulence incident, in which 79 people were injured.

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drimac@asiaone.com