The Daily Populous Tuesday May 21st, 2024 evening edition
Authored by bbc.co.uk and submitted by notblair

Passengers have recounted scenes of "absolute terror" when severe turbulence hit their Singapore Airlines flight, launching people and objects across the cabin.

A 73-year-old British man died from a suspected heart attack, while more than 30 people were injured when the London-Singapore flight suffered a sudden drop as a meal service was under way.

Briton Andrew Davis described “awful screaming and what sounded like a thud" in the first few seconds of the incident.

"The thing I remember the most is seeing objects and things flying through the air.

"I was covered in coffee. It was incredibly severe turbulence," he told the BBC.

Another passenger said the aircraft suddenly started "tilting up” and “shaking".

"I started bracing for what was happening, and very suddenly there was a very dramatic drop, so everyone seated and not wearing a seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling," 28-year-old student Dzafran Azmir told Reuters.

"Some people hit their heads on the baggage cabins overhead and dented it, they hit the places where lights and masks are and broke straight through it," he added.

GovernmentEvening815 on May 21st, 2024 at 13:03 UTC »

That’s scary. I remember the worst turbulence I ever experienced was on a flight from San Antonio to Newark. We had to climb above a storm during takeoff & I was in the very back of the plane. The knocking around was so damn scary mixed with the random “drops” that happened. The flight attendants told everyone to get in the “brace” position and it took a solid 15 minutes to calm down.

I was so close to the “acceptance” stage thinking that I was literally going to die on that flight.

starsandbribes on May 21st, 2024 at 12:49 UTC »

For nervous fliers: I pull up Flightradar and search my upcoming flight number. I look at the dozens and dozens of daily flights the last month of that exact route and airline, and it gives me peace of mind that they all went off without incident. Just seeing the sheer amount makes your journey look so insignificant.

Firstpoet on May 21st, 2024 at 12:36 UTC »

Flew this route last week. Never had a flight with continual turbulence like that one. Mostly low level but odd. Always keep my seat belt on like you should.