A British man who died on a Singapore Airlines flight during severe turbulence has been described as a “remarkable person” by a friend.
Jeff Kitchen collapsed from a suspected heart attack after the plane experienced a rapid loss of altitude in what passengers described as a scene of “absolute horror”.
Seven other passengers were seriously injured and dozens more suffered minor injuries.
The 73-year-old man was on a flight from London to Singapore, with approximately 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board. Of these, 47 were British.
A friend of the couple told the BBC that Mr Kitchen was traveling with his wife on the first leg of a long-planned trip that included a cruise in Indonesia and a trip to Australia.
He was described by members of the Thornbury Musical Theatre Group in South Gloucestershire, which he helped run, as “a gentleman of always the utmost honesty and integrity”.
“His eyes were shining.”
Lizzie Atkins, a friend of Mr Kitchen's and a member of his theater group, described him as a “wonderful person”.
Mr Kitchen was the group's secretary, treasurer and president, she said, adding: “He would do anything for you, anything for the group – he was just amazing.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Atkins said: “I can't believe I'm having to do this. He was one of the nicest people you'll ever know, one of the best, really. That's what he was.” Ta. It was stable and reliable, and I always knew that Jeff and I were safely connected. ”
Mr. Kitchen and his wife are both “adventurous travelers” and the trip “has been in the planning for quite some time,” Mr. Atkins said.
“They love to travel and this was something they were especially looking forward to.”
She added: “He had a really dry sense of humor, a twinkle in his eye, and every time I saw him I knew he was going to tell a funny joke.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development said they were supporting the passengers' families and were in contact with local authorities.
About 10 hours into the flight, the plane encountered “sudden extreme turbulence” over Myanmar's Irrawaddy Basin, aviation officials said.
Passengers described scenes of chaos on board, including people and objects suddenly being thrown across the cabin.
One passenger said he saw a person hit his head on the overhead bin and see a dent in it. Another passenger said the plane suddenly “tilted upwards” and began to shake.
Briton Andrew Davies said he was “covered in coffee” after the tragedy. He said he heard “terrifying screams” and saw “something flying through the air.”
Another British man, Jerry, was on a plane on his way to Australia for his son's wedding. He said the plane “swooped down” mid-flight without warning.
He said he and his wife hit their heads on the ceiling of the plane, and people walking around them “ended up doing somersaults.”
Alison Barker's son Josh was also on the plane. He manages to send her a message that says, “I don't want to scare you, but I'm on a crazy plane. The plane is making an emergency landing…I love you all.”
After that message, Alison said she waited a “horrifying” two hours before hearing from him again.
“One minute he was sitting with his seatbelt on and the next he must have passed out because he was on the floor with other people,” she told the BBC.
Josh suffered minor injuries, but said he fears the experience will have a lasting effect on him.
The Boeing 777-300ER was diverted to Bangkok after the accident and made an emergency landing at 15:45 local time (8:45 GMT).
Singapore Airlines said it is working with Thai authorities to provide medical assistance to passengers and is sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional support needed.
Singapore Airlines president Goh Choon Fong apologized and said he was “deeply sorry for the shocking experience this caused” to the passengers on Flight SQ321.
He said some 79 passengers and six crew members were being treated in Bangkok, while a rescue plane carrying the remaining passengers arrived in Singapore early on Wednesday.
He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and added that “all possible assistance will be provided” to the affected passengers and crew.
The airline said it was “cooperating fully with the relevant authorities regarding the investigation.”
