Woman Sues Singapore Airlines After Husband Dies During Severe Turbulence
London: A 74-year-old British woman has begun legal proceedings against Singapore Airlines after she suffered serious spinal injuries during a flight in which her husband died following severe turbulence.
Linda Kitchen, from Thornbury near Bristol, was travelling with her 73-year-old husband, Geoff Kitchen, aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore in May 2024.
The flight encountered extreme turbulence over Myanmar, causing the aircraft to suddenly lose altitude. Geoff suffered fatal injuries during the incident and later died on board after what was reported to be a suspected heart attack.
Linda suffered multiple spinal injuries and was treated in intensive care for 10 days before eventually returning to the UK for further medical care.
Linda Kitchen Seeks Damages
Kitchen has now launched proceedings at the High Court, seeking damages from Singapore Airlines to help pay for specialist medical treatment and ongoing support for her injuries.
Court documents reportedly contain two claims connected to the family — one brought by Linda in relation to her own injuries and another in her name concerning Geoff’s estate.
The family is also awaiting a coroner’s inquest into Geoff’s death.
Anthe Korelidou, an aviation lawyer representing Linda, said the family continues to have questions about exactly what happened during the flight and whether anything could have been done to reduce the risk to passengers.
‘It Felt Like The Aircraft Was Dropping’
Recalling the terrifying moments on board, Linda said the most severe turbulence began around 10 hours after the aircraft left London.
She described the experience as feeling as though the plane was suddenly dropping.
The violent movement threw her backwards and sideways. Geoff was also thrown into her, leaving her unable to move him.
Linda recalled screaming for help before two fellow passengers managed to reach the couple and move Geoff towards an emergency exit area.
A doctor was called and attempted CPR, but Geoff could not be saved.
What Happened To Flight SQ321?
Flight SQ321 was travelling from London Heathrow to Singapore when it encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar in May 2024.
The aircraft experienced a sudden and significant change in altitude, throwing passengers and crew around the cabin. Numerous people were injured, while Geoff Kitchen became the sole fatality associated with the incident.
Linda was among those seriously injured and required prolonged medical treatment.
The incident prompted renewed attention on the dangers of severe turbulence and the importance of passengers remaining seated with their seat belts fastened whenever possible.
Other Passengers Have Also Taken Legal Action
Linda is not the only passenger pursuing legal action following the turbulence incident.
Court records reportedly show claims involving several other passengers, including Hannah Fullerton, Bradley Richards, Andrew Dawood, Jack Jenkins, Bryan Matthews, and Pauline and Michael Rainey.
The legal proceedings come as the Kitchen family continues to seek answers about the circumstances surrounding Geoff’s death and Linda’s life-changing injuries.
Singapore Airlines has previously faced multiple claims from passengers injured during the SQ321 incident.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
