The British passenger who died after a Singapore Airlines flight was hit by “severe turbulence” has been identified as Geoffrey Ralph Kitchen, according to the BBC. telegraph paper and Gloucestershire Live. He was 73 years old.
Kitchen and his wife of more than 50 years, Linda, were aboard flight SQ321 from London's Heathrow Airport to Singapore on Tuesday, May 21, when the plane unexpectedly hit stormy conditions at an altitude of 37,000 degrees over Myanmar. The plane, with 18 passengers and crew on board, then plummeted from 6,000 feet. Singapore Airlines said in a statement that the plane made an emergency landing in Bangkok at 9:45 a.m. local time.
Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport authorities said Kitchen died of a suspected heart attack. The Telegraph, BBC and Independent. Nearly 70 others were injured.
Mr Kitchen's daughter Anna Proctor said: telegraph paper Kitchen was a grandfather, retired man and board member of a well-regarded local music theater and was described as a “very kind, loving and gentle man.”
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She described him as a “great guy and he had many years ahead of him and obviously we are completely devastated. He was a legend, he was.”
Shortly before his death, Mr Kitchen and his wife left their home in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, for a six-week “holiday of a lifetime”. Mr Kitchen moved to Thornbury more than 30 years ago and will run as an independent candidate for Thornbury City Council's North East Ward election in May 2023. Although Kitchen had suffered from heart problems in the past, neighbors said he lived a healthy life.
Singapore Airlines said in a statement to X (formerly Twitter) that the flight “encountered severe turbulence during the flight.”
It added: “We can confirm that there are one injured person and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. Singapore Airlines extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family.”
Passengers on the plane spoke out about the incident, with Andrew Davis telling PEOPLE that it was a “very frightening experience”.
“I fly a lot, but I had never experienced anything close to that,” Davis continued. “I'm glad to be on the ground. The staff at Singapore Airlines were great, but they were seriously injured.”
Thornbury Musical Group also mourned Kitchen's death on Facebook, posting a photo of him and writing: “Jeff was always a gentleman of the utmost honesty and integrity and always did the right thing for the group.
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It added: “His dedication to TMTG is undeniable, having served the group and the local community of Thornbury for over 35 years, holding various positions within the group including chairman, treasurer and most recently secretary. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.” We ask that you respect the privacy of his wife and family during this difficult time. ”
In an update shared on Facebook on Tuesday, Singapore Airlines said 131 passengers and 12 crew members had arrived in Singapore on an “evacuation flight” and were being transported to their homes or hotels. Those who had a layover in Singapore had been rebooked onto “alternate flights” and were provided with access to lounges and hotels so they could “rest between flights.”
