Turbulence-hit Singapore Airlines jet’s weather radar system sent for tests in US

Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau said a final report on the incident would be issued once the investigation is complete

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Officials enter the turbulence-hit Singapore Airlines plane at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok last year. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:46pm, 27 May 2025

Singapore authorities said on Tuesday that an investigation into a Singapore Airlines flight last year that hit turbulence, injuring dozens of people and killing one, was still awaiting analysis of the plane’s weather radar system.

A 73-year-old passenger died of a suspected heart attack in the incident, which occurred after flight SQ321 from London to Singapore encountered what the airline described as sudden, extreme turbulence while flying over Myanmar.

It was civil aviation’s first death linked to aeroplane turbulence in 25 years and put seat belt practices in the spotlight. It also prompted calls from the airline industry for improved turbulence forecasting as experts warn severe weather patterns brought about by climate change could lead to more incidents.

An interim update of the investigation on Tuesday said that, in addition to the death, 79 people were injured on the flight, which diverted to Bangkok with 211 passengers and 18 crew members aboard.

The short update from Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau, part of the transport ministry, was released a week after the one-year anniversary of the May 21, 2024 incident.

The ministry said a final report would be issued once the investigation is complete.