Singapore Airlines Flight 321

Singapore Airlines Flight 321 was a scheduled international passenger flight operating from London Heathrow Airport in London, England, to Changi Airport in Changi, Singapore. On 21 May 2024, the Boeing 777-300ER operating the flight, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, encountered severe turbulence over Kanasoekone [my] in Myaungmya District, Myanmar, resulting in the death of a passenger and leaving 144 crew and passengers injured. The aircraft was diverted to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.

Singapore Airlines Flight 321

9V-SWM, the aircraft involved in the accident
Accident
Date	21 May 2024 (2024-05-21)
Summary	Severe in-flight turbulence, under investigation
Site	over Kanasoekone [my] in Myaungmya District, Myanmar 16°31′00″N 95°08′56″E
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Boeing 777-312ER[a]
Operator	Singapore Airlines
IATA flight No.	SQ321
ICAO flight No.	SIA321
Call sign	SINGAPORE 321
Registration	9V-SWM
Flight origin	Heathrow Airport, London, England
Destination	Changi Airport, Changi, Singapore
Occupants	229
Passengers	211
Crew	18
Fatalities	1
Injuries	104
Survivors	228

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a 16-year-old Boeing 777-312ER,^[a] registered as 9V-SWM, with manufacturer serial number 34578 and line number 701. It was equipped with two General Electric GE90-115B engines and was delivered to Singapore Airlines in February 2008.^[1][2][3] It was one of two Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ERs to be temporarily converted into freighters in 2020, as the airline had tapped into freight as an alternative revenue stream amid depressed passenger demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[4][1]

Accident

The route map of the flight

The 777-312ER encountered severe turbulence at around 07:49 UTC on 21 May 2024 (14:19 local time)^[3] over Kanasoekone [my] in Myaungmya District, Myanmar, around 360 nautical miles (667 km; 414 mi) from Bangkok.^[5][6] Cabin crew members were in the midst of serving breakfast^[7] when the turbulence became sufficiently severe for unsecured passengers and objects to become airborne inside the cabin.^[5][6] Tracking data showed that the aircraft was at an altitude of 37,000 feet (11,278 m) at the time of the encounter.^[8]

Preliminary investigations suggested the flight experienced rapid vertical force changes and an altitude drop of around 177 ft (54 m)^[9] The flight was then diverted to Bangkok, where it made an emergency landing at 15:45 local time.^[10][5][6] Singapore Airlines dispatched a relief flight which carried 131 passengers and 12 crew members to Singapore the next morning.^[8][11] It was the first turbulence-related death in civil aviation in 25 years.^[12]

Injuries

One passenger died and 104 others were injured,^[13] with 20 of them in intensive care.^[14] The sole fatality was a 73-year-old British man travelling with his wife, who was hospitalised.^[15] The man had a heart condition and died from a suspected heart attack.^[5][6] At least five medical personnel—a doctor, a nurse and three first aid workers—were passengers and tended to the injured despite sustaining injuries themselves from the turbulence.^[16][17] Fifteen Britons,^[13] twelve Australians,^[18] nine Malaysians,^[15] five Filipinos,^[19] four New Zealanders, two Singaporeans, and one Hong Konger were also injured.^[14][20] The oldest person to receive treatment was 83 years old.^[21] Most victims were treated for fractures including to the vertebrae and skull, as well as internal damage to the brain, spinal cord and other organs.^[22] Some passengers said the "fasten seat belt" sign was turned on too late to prevent injuries.^[23] Images show that the oxygen masks were hanging after parts of the aircraft's interior were damaged.^[24][25]

Investigation

Data from both the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) were subsequently obtained by investigators from the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB),^[26] a department within the Ministry of Transport of Singapore, who arrived in Bangkok on the night of the accident.^[27][28][29]

The US National Transportation Safety Board was also reported to be sending an accredited representative and four technical advisers to support the investigation process as the accident involved an American-built aircraft.^[27]

Preliminary investigations released by TSIB on 29 May 2024 are based on preliminary analysis of the FDR and CVR. These revealed that the turbulence was first encountered at 07:49:21 UTC, the aircraft experienced positive vertical forces fluctuating between 0.44G and 1.57G for about 19 seconds, with an uncommanded increase of aircraft altitude to 37,362 feet (11,388 m). The turbulence caused the plane to vibrate. The autopilot, being engaged, pitched the plane downwards to return to 37,000 feet (11,278 m). There was also an uncommanded increase in airspeed, which the pilots extended the speed brakes to counteract for. At 07:49:32 UTC, one of the pilots called out that the fasten seatbelt signs had been turned on. At 07:49:40 UTC the aircraft experienced a drop in vertical acceleration from +1.35G to -1.5G within 0.6 seconds, which likely caused unrestrained passengers to become airborne. At 07:49:41 UTC the vertical acceleration changed from -1.5G to +1.5G in 4 seconds, which would have caused airborne occupants to fall.^[30]

Through this 4.6 second sequence, the aircraft was recorded as dropping from 37,362 feet (11,388 m) to 37,184 feet (11,334 m), a fall of 178 feet (54.3 m). The pilots manually controlled the aircraft for 21 seconds to stabilise the aircraft and re-engaged the autopilot at 07:50:05 UTC. The aircraft returned to its selected altitude of 37,000 feet at 07:50:23 UTC. The uncommanded increase in airspeed and altitude was likely due to an updraft. No further severe turbulence was encountered for the remaining flight to Bangkok.^[30] Flight International noted that "The latest interim reports suggest that the captain should have taken account of the fact that there was extensive convective activity close to the aircraft’s flightpath, and should have ordered crew and passengers to be strapped in rather than allowing a meal service to proceed."^[31]

Aftermath

9V-SWM parked at Singapore Changi Airport, on 5 June 2024, in the aftermath of the accident.

After the accident, Singapore Airlines announced it would modify its cabin service routines. In addition to the suspension of hot beverage service when the seat belt sign was on, the meal service would also be suspended. The current policy of crew members securing all loose items and equipment in the cabin during poor weather conditions would continue.^[32] The airline offered compensation payments of $10,000 U.S. dollars to victims with minor injuries and an "advance payment" of $25,000 U.S. dollars for those seriously injured as well as further discussions to meet "their specific circumstances". It also offered a full fare refund and $1,000 Singapore dollars to all passengers on board to cover immediate expenses and arrangements for relatives to fly to Bangkok where requested.^[33]

On 22 May 2024, the CEO of Singapore Airlines Goh Choon Phong apologized for what happened on Flight SQ321 and expressed condolences while pledging full cooperation with the ongoing investigation. Condolences were also issued by Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong^[13] and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.^[34]

The accident aircraft was subsequently cleared to continue flying, and returned to Singapore on 26 May.^[35][36] It subsequently completed a functional flight check on 23 July in preparation for a return to service.^[37] On 27 July, the aircraft returned to service and resumed operations, flying from Singapore to Shanghai as SQ830. A Singapore Airlines spokesperson stated that the aircraft also "met the safety requirements set by the aircraft manufacturer, passed stringent safety checks by SIA’s engineering and flight operations teams, and successfully completed a functional check flight before its return to service."^[38]

See also

• Myanmar portal
• Singapore portal
• Thailand portal
• United Kingdom portal
• Aviation portal

• China Eastern Airlines Flight 583, an in-flight upset that occurred on 6 April 1993 near the Aleutian Islands, when slats were accidentally deployed, resulting in the death of 2 passengers and 156 injuries.
• United Airlines Flight 826, a similar accident that occurred on 28 December 1997 over the Pacific Ocean, when encounter with severe turbulence resulted in the death of a passenger and 102 injuries.
• LATAM Airlines Flight 800, an in-flight upset that occurred on 11 March 2024 over the Tasman Sea, when a loss of altitude resulted in no fatalities but 50 injuries.

Notes

1. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 777-300ER. Boeing assigned a customer code for companies that buy one of its aircraft, which is applied as a suffix to the model number at the time the aircraft is built, hence "777-312ER" designates a 777-300ER built for Singapore Airlines (customer code 12).