A pensioner who died onboard a Singapore Airlines flight from London Heathrow has been named and pictured for the first time. Geoffrey Ralph Kitchen, 73, from Thornbury, Gloucestershire, is thought to have been violently hurled around and died from a heart attack as the plane experienced severe turbulence.
He was pronounced dead on the plane. Speaking to The Sun, Geoff’s neighbour described him as a ‘really nice guy’.
Steve Dimond, who lives with wife Jill a few doors down from Geoff in a quiet leafy cul-de-sac in Thornbury, Glos, told The Sun: “We are really upset. My wife is upstairs crying.
“He was a really nice guy. I last saw them on Sunday night and my wife saw them drive off on Monday. They were going on a big holiday to Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and Australia. They have a son and a daughter.”
READ MORE:Live: Singapore Airlines victim named as neighbours pay tribute to ‘really nice’ dad, 73
Mr Kitchen’s wife is reported to be in a local hospital. Airport Director Kittipong Kittikachorn confirmed the name and details of the victim. He was also named in a police report into the incident.
The Boeing 777-300ER was carrying 211 passengers and 18 staff when it was hit by hard turbulence, forcing it to reroute to Bangkok and not its original destination, Singapore. Singapore Airlines said the flight encountered ‘sudden extreme turbulence’ over Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet about 10 hours after departure, with the pilot declaring a medical emergency and diverting the plane to Bangkok.
One of the passengers on board Flight SQ321 to Singapore said the plane suffered a ‘dramatic drop’, meaning people not wearing a seatbelt were ‘launched immediately into the ceiling’. Images posted on social media showed damage to the ceiling of the cabin, and food, cutlery and other debris strewn on the floor in the aftermath of the incident.
Singapore Airlines said: “Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, operating from London Heathrow to Singapore on May 20, encountered severe turbulence en-route. We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board. Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.”
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