British man died of cardiac arrest after severe turbulence on London flight

A British passenger died of cardiac arrest after severe turbulence struck a Singapore Airlines flight departing from London Heathrow. Geoff Kitchen, 73, from Thornbury, south Gloucestershire, was on the flight to Singapore on May 21, 2024, when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence.

The incident occurred as the Boeing 777 plane was approaching the south western region of Myanmar, Avon Coroners’ Court was told. The aircraft was diverted to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, where Mr Kitchen was pronounced dead. His wife, Linda, who sustained serious injuries, was taken to hospital along with dozens of other passengers.

Inquest Findings

Dr Peter Harrowing, assistant coroner for Avon, reached a narrative conclusion following the hearing. He stated that Mr Kitchen, who had a history of coronary artery disease, was thrown from his seat and landed on an adjacent passenger. CPR was administered, but the aircraft diverted to Bangkok, where Mr Kitchen was confirmed deceased. The coroner concluded that Mr Kitchen died of cardiac failure as a result of the aircraft encountering severe turbulence.

Mr Kitchen, a retired insurance professional, and his wife, a retired careers adviser, had embarked on a six-week holiday. Mrs Kitchen described experiencing a “huge drop or lunge” during the turbulence, resulting in her sustaining spinal fractures. She also reported being bleeding profusely from a head wound. She was not informed of her husband’s death until two days after the diversion to Bangkok.

A post-mortem examination in Thailand initially found Mr Kitchen had died from congestive heart failure. A subsequent post-mortem examination in Bristol by Dr Edward Sheffield, a consultant pathologist, gave the cause of death as cardiac failure due to coronary artery atheroma and the physiological effects of airplane turbulence.

A report into the incident indicated that 56 people sustained serious injuries, 23 received minor injuries, and one person, Mr Kitchen, died. The aircraft was cruising at 37,000ft when it encountered severe turbulence near a waypoint west of Myanmar. A Mayday call was made, and the plane landed in Bangkok at 8.45am, where medical personnel were present.

Legal Proceedings

Mrs Kitchen has instructed lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, who have issued High Court proceedings for damages against Singapore Airlines. Anthe Korelidou, the specialist aviation lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, stated that Mrs Kitchen and other passengers experienced an “extremely traumatic” flight. She added that Mrs Kitchen continues to have questions and concerns about the incident and whether more could have been done to prevent injuries.

In a statement released through the law firm, Mrs Kitchen described her husband’s death as “absolutely devastating” for herself, their two children, and four grandchildren. She stated, “Losing Geoff was a crushing blow to the whole family as we all thought he would be around to see his grandchildren grow up.” She added, “We had a happy and fulfilled marriage and now I’ve lost my soulmate.”