A Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore experienced severe turbulence over southern Myanmar, resulting in the death of one passenger and injuries to dozens. According to a preliminary report from Singapore’s Transport Ministry, the turbulence struck about 10 hours into the 13-hour flight, causing the plane to suddenly rise by 362 feet due to an updraft, leading the autopilot to pitch the plane downward. The unexpected changes in altitude and airspeed resulted in passengers and crew being thrown into the air before falling back down.
The turbulence occurred at 37,000 feet, just after many of the 211 passengers had finished breakfast. The plane’s sudden descent, which saw it drop about 178 feet in less than five seconds, caused those not wearing seatbelts to be injured. The report indicates that the pilots manually engaged a brake in response to the plane speeding up unexpectedly.
