WIFE REVEALS HORROR OF SINGAPORE AIRLINES TURBULENCE THAT KILLED HER HUSBAND — NOW SHE’S DEMANDING ANSWERS

BANGKOK — More than two years after a Singapore Airlines flight was violently thrown through the sky, the widow of the British grandfather who died during the terrifying incident is speaking publicly about the ordeal for the first time — and taking legal action against the airline.

Linda Kitchen, 73-year-old Geoff Kitchen’s wife of more than five decades, was aboard Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence during a flight from London to Singapore on May 20, 2024.

The couple had only just begun what was supposed to be a six-week dream vacation through Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and Australia.

Instead, their trip became a nightmare.

“I THOUGHT THE PLANE WAS GOING DOWN”

Linda recalled that the flight had experienced some turbulence earlier in the journey, but nothing prepared her for what happened roughly 10 hours into the flight.

She said the aircraft suddenly dropped dramatically.

Her personal belongings and Geoff’s phone were thrown onto the floor.

For Linda, the sensation was terrifying.

She believed the aircraft might be going down.

The plane ultimately diverted to Bangkok after the incident, where injured passengers were taken for emergency medical treatment.

GEOFF FELL ONTO HIS WIFE

Linda had been wearing her seat belt when the turbulence struck.

But the violent movement of the aircraft caused Geoff to fall onto her.

She suffered serious spinal injuries and said she experienced intense pain while being trapped beneath him.

Unable to move him herself, she screamed for help.

Two fellow passengers eventually managed to reach the couple and move Geoff toward an area near an emergency exit.

A doctor was called and CPR was performed.

But Geoff could not be saved.

The 73-year-old retired insurance worker suffered a fatal heart attack during the incident.

Linda did not immediately know that her husband had died.

She was taken to intensive care with serious spinal injuries, while her children flew to Thailand to be at her side.

UP TO 70 PEOPLE WERE INJURED

The Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 was carrying hundreds of passengers and crew members when it encountered the severe turbulence.

The aircraft reportedly dropped thousands of feet within seconds.

The sudden movement sent passengers and objects flying through the cabin.

Dozens of people were injured, with some suffering serious spinal and head injuries.

The aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, where medical teams rushed to treat the injured.

The incident became one of the most serious turbulence-related aviation events in recent years.

A DREAM HOLIDAY ENDED IN TRAGEDY

For the Kitchen family, the emotional impact has lasted far beyond the day of the flight.

Geoff and Linda had been married for more than 50 years.

Their trip was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Instead, Linda was left seriously injured and widowed.

Geoff was remembered by his family as a loving husband, father and grandfather.

His daughter previously described him as an “extremely kind, loving and gentle man.”

He had also been deeply involved in his local community in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, where he was connected to a local musical theater group.

NOW LINDA WANTS ANSWERS

More than two years after the incident, Linda has filed a High Court claim against Singapore Airlines, seeking damages and answers about what happened.

Her legal team says the family continues to have questions about whether the injuries could have been prevented.

One issue being examined is the aircraft’s weather radar.

A report has indicated that problems involving the onboard weather radar could not be ruled out as part of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

That does not establish that a radar problem caused the turbulence or the injuries. The issue remains part of the legal and investigative questions surrounding the flight.

Singapore Airlines has declined to comment on Linda’s case because the matter is now before the courts.

“ALL LINDA WANTS IS ANSWERS”

Linda’s lawyers say the legal proceedings are intended to help establish exactly what happened and whether anything could have been done differently.

Her attorney, Anthe Korelidou of Irwin Mitchell, said the experience was profoundly traumatic for Linda and the other passengers and emphasized the continuing need for a thorough investigation.

For Linda, the legal action is about more than compensation.

It is about understanding how the man she had spent more than half a century with could be sitting beside her one moment — and gone the next.

THE PASSENGER WHO TRIED TO SAVE GEOFF

One of the people who tried to help Geoff during the chaos was Toby Pearl, a 21-year-old British health care worker traveling on the same flight.

Pearl told PEOPLE that he and other medically trained passengers responded almost immediately after calls for assistance went out.

He performed CPR on Geoff for around 30 minutes while a doctor and nurse also attempted to help.

But the continuing turbulence made the situation even more difficult.

Eventually, medical personnel determined that Geoff could not be revived.

For Linda, her husband’s final moments unfolded only a few feet away while she was herself badly injured.

A FAMILY STILL LIVING WITH THE AFTERMATH

The physical injuries have been only one part of Linda’s ordeal.

She has also had to live with the loss of her husband and the knowledge that their long-awaited vacation ended in tragedy.

Geoff was supposed to return home with her.

Instead, Linda returned to Britain without him.

Now, through the court proceedings, she hopes to obtain answers about the flight and the events that caused so many people to be injured.

A six-week dream vacation became a life-changing tragedy in a matter of seconds. Geoff Kitchen never made it home. His wife survived with serious injuries, but more than two years later, she is still searching for answers about what happened inside Flight SQ321 — and whether more could have been done to protect the passengers aboard it.