WIFE OF BRITISH GRANDFATHER KILLED IN SINGAPORE AIRLINES TURBULENCE REVEALS TERRIFYING FINAL MOMENTS

LONDON — More than two years after a Singapore Airlines flight was struck by severe turbulence, the wife of British grandfather Geoff Kitchen has revealed the terrifying moments that left her seriously injured and her husband dead.

Kitchen, 73, was traveling with his wife, Linda, aboard Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore on May 20, 2024, when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar. The plane suddenly dropped, throwing passengers and objects around the cabin before it was diverted to Bangkok.

“I THOUGHT THE PLANE WAS GOING DOWN”

Linda said she had noticed her Kindle and Geoff’s phone fall to the floor shortly before the most violent part of the turbulence.

Then the aircraft appeared to drop suddenly.

Although Linda had been wearing her seat belt, she was thrown backward and to the side. Geoff fell onto her, leaving her trapped and in severe pain.

“I thought the plane was going down,” Linda recalled.

Other passengers eventually helped move Geoff toward an emergency exit, where a doctor attempted CPR.

He later died after suffering a fatal cardiac event.

A DREAM VACATION TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE

The couple had been beginning a six-week vacation through Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and Australia when the disaster occurred.

Flight SQ321 had departed Heathrow and was roughly 11 hours into its journey when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence.

The plane diverted to Bangkok, where Linda was taken to a hospital for treatment.

She suffered serious spinal injuries and spent time in intensive care. She later learned that her husband had died.

Their two adult children flew to Thailand after learning about the incident and stayed by their mother’s side.

NOW SHE IS TAKING LEGAL ACTION

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

Her lawyers say the family continues to have questions about whether more could have been done to prevent the injuries suffered during the turbulence.

The legal action follows reporting that possible issues involving the aircraft’s onboard weather radar could not be ruled out.

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

ONE FATALITY, DOZENS INJURED

Geoff was the only passenger who died in the incident.

More than 100 passengers were injured, with many suffering fractures and other serious injuries after being thrown around the cabin.

The flight’s sudden movement also caused severe damage inside the passenger cabin, highlighting the extraordinary force involved.

A WIDOW STILL SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS

Linda has spent more than two years dealing with the physical consequences of the incident while grieving the husband she had been married to for more than five decades.

Her legal team says the High Court proceedings are intended to help establish what happened and whether anything could have prevented the devastating injuries.

For Linda, the journey that was supposed to be a long-awaited vacation became the final trip she would ever take with her husband.

Geoff Kitchen boarded Flight SQ321 expecting six weeks of travel and adventure with Linda. Instead, a sudden plunge through severe turbulence changed their lives forever — leaving one family grieving and a widow still searching for answers.