In a detailed investigation the outcome was shocking. Investigators have reconstructed the moments before the 777 encountered turbulence revealing what caused it. Would you like to know?
Investigators have reconstructed the moments before SQ321 encountered turbulence, revealing how a routine flight turned into a mid-air emergency within seconds. The interior of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 after severe turbulence forced it to make an emergency landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand, on May 21, 2024.
Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. SINGAPORE: In less than a second, the gravitational force aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 changed so violently that passengers who were not belted up became airborne. The plane was cruising at 37,000ft approaching the west coast of southwest Myanmar. Cabin crew were preparing breakfast service and passengers were being woken.
No weather radar returns appeared on the flight crew's navigation displays, and they observed the immediate flight path was clear of cloud, with only high-level clouds visible in the distance. The flight crew contacted Yangon air traffic control to request a slight change in route, citing weather – though the TSIB noted this was a tactical move rather than a genuine concern.
“Weather was cited by them to increase the likelihood of approving their request for the direct route,” the report said. The flight crew adjusted the range of their navigational displays for flight path planning. One pilot said there were no weather returns and that the adjustment was routine. The cockpit voice recorder did not capture any discussions about weather between the pilots.
SQ321 began experiencing turbulence, with vertical accelerations ranging from +0.44G to +1.57G over 17 seconds. One pilot noticed airspeed climbing toward the overspeed range, alerted his colleague and deployed the speed brakes. The other pilot reduced cruising speed from Mach 0.84 to Mach 0.82 – the speed required for flying through turbulence to avoid exceeding structural design limits. He also switched on the seat belt sign, calling out"seat belt on".
There was no time to make a cabin announcement. The aircraft's altitude meter registered a climb, and the autopilot pitched the nose down to hold 37,000ft, but the aircraft continued rising to 37,362ft. Severe turbulence struck. Vertical acceleration dropped from +1.35G to -1.5G within 0.6 seconds, then surged back to +1.5G over the next four seconds.
A stall warning system is briefly activated. The crew disengaged autopilot and flew manually for 21 seconds to stabilise the aircraft, before switching autopilot back on at 7:50:05am UTC. The area outside the aircraft appeared clear. The cockpit voice recorder captured the pilot-in-command saying:"How come suddenly … let me remove this and see" – but no further discussion followed on what he saw.
The TSIB said the pilot was surprised by the sudden onset of turbulence, and removed a sunshade to look out the window. The pilot-in-command said:"We hit something, but I was on MAX … I was on MAX, I don't see anything here" – a reference to his weather radar gain setting. After the aircraft stabilised and the turbulence subsided, the other pilot said: “Okay we are clear already … The weather is okay. ” The pilot-in-command concurred:"Quite clear now.
"The flight crew reported the severe turbulence to Yangon air traffic control and asked whether other aircraft had made similar reports. None had. The senior first officer, who had been resting in the crew rest facility, made his way to the cockpit. Along the way he saw overturned service carts, broken serviceware and an injured cabin crew member being attended to.
Yangon air traffic control directed the aircraft to descend from 37,000ft to 31,000ft. During the descent, the pilot-in-command saw altostratus – a type of greyish or bluish cloud sheet – and scattered cumulus clouds ahead. But navigation displays still showed no weather returns. SQ321 landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
It arrived at its assigned parking bay about five minutes later, where medical personnel were waiting. The injured were treated and sent to hospitals.
Please follow us on Google to support usSingapore Airlines Flight SQ321 Turbulence Emergency Landing Investigation Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Investigation raises concerns about weather radar display issues on Singapore Airlines flight SQ321Investigators have raised concerns about possible weather radar display issues on Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ321 before it flew into severe turbulence over Myanmar in May 2024, leaving one passenger dead and dozens injured. The inclement weather that caused the turbulence may not have been captured by the aircraft's in-flight weather radar, according to the full investigation report released by the Singapore Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) on Tuesday (May 19). The flight crew said they observed that the flight path was clear and that the weather radar showed no dangerous weather.
Read more »
Argentine investigators set out to find link between cruise ship outbreak and forest-dwelling ratsInvestigators from Argentina's Malbran Institute are trapping rats in the forests surrounding Ushuaia as part of an ongoing investigation into the source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak that occurred on a cruise in May. The purpose of the fieldwork is to detect the possible presence of the rat-borne virus in an area previously thought unaffected, as well as to help determine if the tourism-dependent region of Tierra del Fuego is a source of contamination. The team hopes to find evidence to support their hypothesis that the infected couple, who died in Patagonia, got the virus in Ushuaia.
Read more »
Investigation reveals cause of fatal turbulence on Singapore Airlines flightInvestigators have determined that the fatal turbulence incident on a Singapore Airlines flight was caused by rapidly developing convective clouds and thunderstorms. The plane encountered severe turbulence, possibly due to the failure of the weather radar to detect the clouds.
Read more »