Linda Kitchen, 74, has broken her silence about the death of her husband Geoff, 73, after severe turbulence on Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 to Thailand, as she launches a High Court damages bid against the airline.
Linda and Geoff, of Thornbury, Gloucestershire, were travelling to Thailand when the jet encountered rough turbulence over Myanmar. Tracking data showed the aircraft plunged 6,000 feet in a matter of minutes.
‘I thought the plane was going down’
Linda, who had her seatbelt on, recalled being pinned to her chair in horrific pain while Geoff became fatally wounded. After the plane landed in Bangkok, she was rushed to hospital with spinal fractures, and two days later, while in intensive care, she was told her husband of 52 years had died.
Geoff, a popular theatre director and retired insurance professional, died at the age of 73. Dozens of other passengers were also injured in the incident.
Linda, a retired careers advisor, had left London Heathrow with Geoff for a six-week holiday to Singapore, Indonesia and Australia when the incident happened in May 2024.
‘It felt like the aircraft was dropping’
Linda said: “There had been some turbulence over Europe and it had been shaky over the water, but it was around 10 hours into the flight when we encountered the main turbulence.
“It was so severe; it felt like the aircraft was dropping. I noticed my Kindle and Geoff’s phone had fallen to the floor and I thought the plane was going down.
“The drop in altitude seemed to happen suddenly. I fell backwards and to the side and felt pain shooting through me.
“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.”
‘Nothing prepared me for hearing he had died’
Following the turbulence, the plane diverted and landed in Bangkok. Linda was taken to hospital while Geoff remained on the plane. Their children, aged 48 and 45, flew immediately to Thailand to be by her bedside.
Linda added: “I thought Geoff and I were the only ones injured until I saw the other ambulances waiting by the plane.
“When in hospital I kept asking about Geoff, but it wasn’t until two days later that I was told he had passed away.
“When I got separated from Geoff I knew he was in a bad way, but nothing prepared me for hearing he had died. It was absolutely devastating.”
Linda spent ten days in hospital before being airlifted back to Bristol, where she remained for around a week and required significant assistance at home after discharge.
She said: “What followed was an emotional and distressing time as I tried to come to terms with Geoff's death and the reality that I would never see him again, while also coping with considerable pain from my own injuries.
“The last two years have been incredibly difficult. Losing Geoff was a crushing blow to the whole family as we all thought he would be around to see his grandchildren grow up. We had a happy and fulfilled marriage and now I’ve lost my soulmate.
“He was also popular in the community, especially through his work with Thornbury Musical Theatre Group, and many others continue to feel the effect of his death.
“I know nothing can bring Geoff back, but I feel I owe it to him to at least get some answers and understand the circumstances surrounding his death.”
High Court proceedings issued
Irwin Mitchell has now issued High Court proceedings for damages against Singapore Airlines. Anthe Korelidou, the specialist aviation lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Linda, said: “What Linda and scores of other passengers endured on the flight must have been extremely traumatic.
“That Geoff was fatally injured and Linda suffered severe injuries, vividly highlights the severity of what happened.
“While it’s more than two years since Geoff’s death, Linda and the rest of her family continue to have a number of questions and concerns about what happened and if more could have been done to prevent their injuries.
“All Linda wants is for the most thorough investigations to be conducted. The issuing of High Court proceedings is a major milestone in being able to provide Geoff’s loved ones with the answers they deserve.”
