A 74-year-old woman whose husband died following severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight has launched legal action against the airline.
Linda Kitchen, from Thornbury near Bristol, suffered a serious back injury during the incident, while her husband, Geoff Kitchen, 73, was fatally injured when the flight from London Heathrow reportedly plunged about 6,000ft (1,828 metres). Geoff died on the flight after a suspected heart attack.
Kitchen has now begun proceedings at the High Court, seeking damages from Singapore Airlines to help cover the cost of specialist treatment and support for her back injury, reported the BBC.
The incident occurred during the Singapore-bound flight, which encountered severe turbulence. Kitchen’s lawyers said her husband sustained fatal injuries during the sudden drop.
Kitchen’s lawyers state that she is seeking damages from SIA to access specialist support for her recovery.
Papers submitted to the High Court show two claims from the Kitchen family, one on behalf of Linda and the other in her name but on behalf of Geoff’s estate, as per The Independent. The family is also waiting on a coroner’s inquest to take place into Geoff Kitchen’s death.
What Happened On Singapore Airlines Flight?
Geoff and Linda Kitchen were on SIA’s flight SQ321 that took off from London’s Heathrow Airport in May 2024. While flying over Myanmar, the plane plummeted 178ft in just under five seconds due to severe turbulence.
Linda Kitchen suffered spinal fractures. She was placed in intensive care for 10 days before being transferred back to the UK for further treatment.
Speaking to The Independent about the ordeal, Kitchen said the main turbulence began 10 hours after the flight took off from London. She recalled that the effect was “so severe; it felt like the aircraft was dropping.”
Linda Kitchen fell backwards and to the side due to the sudden drop in altitude.
“Geoff fell onto me and was squashing me into the armrest, and I couldn’t move him. I was screaming, and somehow two passengers managed to come across and help him. They moved Geoff near the escape door, and a doctor was called to carry out CPR on him,” the 74-year-old recollected.
Despite the doctor’s efforts, Geoff Kitchen passed away.
Anthe Korelidou, a specialist aviation lawyer representing Linda, said that the Kitchen family still has several questions about what happened on the flight and whether more could have been done to prevent the couple’s misfortune.
Apart from Linda Kitchen, other passengers have also launched legal action against Singapore Airlines. As per court records, the names include Hannah Fullerton, Bradley Richards, Andrew Dawood, Jack Jenkins, Bryan Matthews and Pauline and Michael Rainey.
