The man who died of a heart attack when a Singapore Airlines jet crashed more than 6,000 feet on Tuesday has been identified as a 73-year-old British grandfather who was traveling on a dream vacation with his wife.
Geoff Kitchen, from Gloucestershire, was beginning a six-week trip to Asia and Australia with his wife Linda when their Boeing 777 encountered severe turbulence and plummeted thousands of feet in five minutes. The Sun reported.
Kitchen, an amateur actor and former insurance worker, was the only casualty in the incident, which left more than 30 people injured when the plane collided with an overhead bin during the plunge.
Neighbour Steve Dymond, 73, said he and his wife had seen the couple off as they set off on a trip on Monday and were devastated by their sudden deaths.
“They were planning a big holiday to Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and Australia,” Dymond told The Sun. “We're really upset. Her wife is upstairs crying.”
Dimond said Kitchen had a history of heart disease and had recently had a stent inserted to widen his artery.
Despite her health problems, Ms Kitchen is an active member of Bristol's Thornbury Musical Theater Group and was director in 2020.
“I remember him playing the Sultan and the Dame, he was great. He was a nice, funny guy who could sing and act,” Dimond added.
What we know so far about the London-Singapore flight that left 1 dead and 30 injured
It is currently unclear whether Kitchen died on the plane or after being rushed to hospital after landing in Thailand.
According to the Telegraph, his wife is among those currently being treated in hospital..
Following confirmation of Kitchen's death, Boeing expressed its condolences to Kitchen's family in a statement.
“We would like to express our deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones, and our thoughts are with the passengers and crew,” the company said in a statement.
According to Flightradar24, the Kitchen Flight, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, suddenly plummeted from an altitude of 37,000 feet to 30,000 feet within just five minutes while flying over the Andaman Sea 11 hours into the flight. It plummeted to 1000 feet.
Photos circulating online showed terrified passengers clutching their seats and flight attendants bleeding from the nose in the aftermath of the turbulence.
Meanwhile, other images showed food and debris throughout the plane and a large dent in the overhead bin where the passenger hit.
Tracking data showed the plane remained at an altitude of 31,000 feet for about 10 minutes before diving into Bangkok and making an emergency landing.
Thai authorities said first responders were treating the injured at the airport, and dozens of others were subsequently hospitalized, including seven with serious injuries.
with post wire
