A grandfather who died after terrifying turbulence rocked a Singapore Airlines flight suffered fatal heart failure triggered by the violent in-flight event, a coroner has ruled.
Geoff Kitchen, 73, was traveling with his wife, Linda, aboard Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 from London to Singapore in May 2024 when the Boeing 777 suddenly plunged 178 feet in less than five seconds over Myanmar.
The terrifying drop sent passengers and belongings flying through the cabin.
Kitchen suffered cardiac arrest during the chaos and died onboard.
Now, more than two years later, a coroner has concluded that the severe turbulence itself played a direct role in his death.
Kitchen had a history of coronary artery disease and underwent surgery in 2019.
But according to evidence presented at the inquest, he had been doing well and had not been experiencing significant heart problems during a medical review in 2023.
Pathologist Dr. Edward Stafford said that extreme stress can trigger a surge of adrenaline, which can place dangerous strain on someone with underlying heart disease.
He listed the cause of death as cardiac failure caused by coronary artery disease and the physiological effects of the aircraft turbulence.
The coroner agreed.
He said that while Kitchen’s pre-existing heart disease made him more vulnerable, it was the violent turbulence that precipitated the cardiac arrest that killed him.
Kitchen’s wife, Linda, was sitting beside him when the plane suddenly dropped.
She told the inquest she had been watching a movie when she felt the aircraft plunge.
She suffered severe spinal fractures and was eventually taken to intensive care after the plane made an emergency landing in Bangkok.
Linda recalled feeling an explosive pain across her back and believing the plane was crashing.
Geoff fell across her lap after the drop.
Other passengers moved him back into his seat, where his head slumped forward.
CPR was then performed while Linda was moved away to receive treatment for her own injuries.
The incident injured dozens of people.
The final investigation found that 72 passengers were hurt, including 51 who suffered serious injuries.
Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau later concluded that the aircraft encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar and likely passed over rapidly rising air associated with a fast-growing cloud.
Investigators determined that the plane dropped roughly 178 feet in about 4.6 seconds during the most violent portion of the event.
The terrifying episode forced the aircraft to divert to Bangkok.
Images taken afterward showed damaged ceiling panels, food, luggage and other debris scattered throughout the cabin.
Kitchen and his wife had been heading off on what was supposed to be a six-week vacation through Singapore, Indonesia and Australia.
Instead, the trip ended in tragedy.
Linda later described Geoff as her soulmate and said his death was a crushing blow to their family.
Kitchen was a father of two and grandfather of four and was well known in his community for his longtime involvement with Thornbury Musical Theatre Group.
Linda is now among several British passengers pursuing legal claims against Singapore Airlines over injuries connected to the flight.
Singapore Airlines has previously said it cannot comment on ongoing court proceedings.
For Kitchen’s family, the coroner’s ruling finally provides a clearer answer about what happened during those terrifying seconds in the air.
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