British Man Died of Cardiac Arrest After Severe Turbulence on Singapore Airlines Flight, Inquest Hears
An inquest into the death of Geoff Kitchen, 73, concluded that physiological effects of extreme turbulence precipitated his fatal cardiac arrest.
A British passenger suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight, an inquest has heard. Geoff Kitchen, 73, was traveling with his wife, Linda, from London Heathrow to Singapore when the Boeing 777 encountered extreme turbulence over southwestern Myanmar on May 21, 2024.
The retired insurance professional was thrown from his seat and landed on another passenger before fellow travelers administered CPR. The flight was diverted to Bangkok, where Mr. Kitchen was pronounced dead. His wife, who sustained serious injuries including spinal fractures, was not informed of her husband's death until two days later.
Assistant coroner for Avon, Dr. Peter Harrowing, reached a narrative conclusion, stating that Mr. Kitchen, who had a history of coronary artery disease, died of cardiac failure. "I am satisfied that it was the physiological effect of the aircraft turbulence which precipitated the cardiac arrest and ultimately Geoff's demise," Dr. Harrowing said.
Mrs. Kitchen, 74, described the sudden plunge of the aircraft and being trapped beneath her husband, causing her injuries. She recounted how passengers lifted her husband off her and that CPR was administered. After landing in Bangkok, she was placed on a stretcher and spent 10 days in the hospital before being airlifted back to Bristol.
Mr. Kitchen and his wife were on the first leg of a six-week holiday to Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia. A post-mortem examination determined Mr. Kitchen died from cardiac failure due to coronary artery atheroma and the physiological effects of airplane turbulence. He had previously undergone an operation for stents in 2019, but a review later that year indicated he had returned to normal exercise capacity.
The incident occurred while the aircraft was cruising at 37,000 feet. A Mayday call was made, and the flight landed at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. The incident left 56 people seriously injured and 23 with minor injuries.
Mrs. Kitchen has instructed lawyers and issued High Court proceedings for damages against Singapore Airlines. In a statement released through her lawyers, she described her husband's death as "absolutely devastating" and a "crushing blow" to their family.