Geoff Kitchen, 73, died on a Singapore Airlines flight hit by turbulence. Less than 12 people a year are seriously injured on average, per FAA data.
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The dangers of turbulence were made apparent on Tuesday when Singapore Airlines announced a passenger died on board a flight.
Geoff Kitchen, 73, had a heart condition, according to officials at Bangkok Airport, where the flight was diverted. 71 others were injured on the flight, six of whom are in critical condition.
It marks one of the worst turbulence incidents in recent years. It is also the first death on a Singapore Airlines flight since 2000. The carrier is regarded as one of the world's best, one of just 10 worldwide to be ranked five stars by Skytrax.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced it would send five people to support the Singaporean investigation. It has jurisdiction because an American plane, a Boeing 777, was involved.
"NTSB has long been concerned about turbulence-related accidents and incidents," it said in a post on X.
Serious injuries due to turbulence are very rare.
According to data from the Federal Aviation Administration, just 163 people were seriously injured by turbulence between 2009 and 2022 — an average of less than 12 people a year.
The majority, 129, were crew members. In 2022, only four passengers were seriously injured by turbulence.
For context, the FAA oversees more than 16 million flights in US airspace every year.
Not wearing a seatbelt is the biggest risk factor. That's why crew members are more susceptible because they could be in the middle of service when turbulence strikes. Alongside its data, the FAA pointed out that its regulations require passengers to fasten their seatbelts when the sign is illuminated.
However, sometimes, there isn't enough time between the sign turning on and the onset of turbulence.
Andrew, a passenger on the Singapore Airlines flight, told the BBC that the plane "suddenly dropped" just moments after the seatbelt sign came on. It's a reminder that passengers should wear a seatbelt whenever possible.
While severe injuries due to turbulence remain incredibly rare, the number of incidents involving turbulence has increased over the past several decades, largely due to alterations in wind dynamics linked to the climate crisis.
According to a 2023 study by researchers at the UK's University of Reading, there were around 17.7 hours of severe turbulence over an average point above the Atlantic Ocean in 1979. By 2020, this had jumped to 27.4 hours, an increase of 55%.
