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Singapore Airlines is offering an initial compensation of $25,000 to some passengers on a flight from London last month that experienced severe turbulence, leading to one death and several serious injuries.
Those with injuries requiring long-term medical care have received a $25,000 advance. For those who suffered minor injuries in the May 21 incident, the airline has offered $10,000. The carrier said in a social media post on Tuesday that it sent the offers to passengers on June 10.
A law firm representing some of the passengers said it advised everyone to seek legal advice before signing anything with Singapore Airlines.
“Our working theory remains that this incident could have been prevented and that Singapore Airlines is therefore at fault,” said Peter Carter, director of Carter Capner Law.
“Our team, which consists of highly experienced airline captains, believes there is evidence that the aircraft flew through the top of a thunderstorm, or near it, while flying over an area notorious for thunderstorms in the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone.”
Singapore Airlines responded: “We regret that we cannot respond to the views of other lawyers. SIA is cooperating fully with the relevant authorities in the investigation into this incident.”
Previously, the airline said it had invited those who suffered more serious injuries “to discuss an offer of compensation to meet each of their specific circumstances, where they feel well and are willing to do so”.
“Passengers who are medically diagnosed with serious injuries, require long-term medical care and apply for financial assistance will be offered an advance of $25,000 to meet their immediate needs. This will be part of the final compensation these passengers will receive.”
The airline confirmed it had also given passengers S$1,000 (US$740) for immediate post-flight expenses. It said it would offer a full refund of airline tickets to all passengers, including those who did not suffer injuries.
One person died and dozens were injured, including serious back and brain injuries, when flight SQ321 from London to Singapore experienced sudden, extreme turbulence over Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Basin. The flight was diverted to Bangkok.
The plane fell 178 feet in less than five seconds, with passengers experiencing rapid changes in g-force, or vertical acceleration, according to a preliminary chronology of events compiled by Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.
The flight experienced an “uncontrolled” increase in altitude and airspeed while the autopilot was engaged, which the report said was most likely due to the aircraft being hit by a rapid upward movement of air, causing it to fly more than 100 meters was brought.
In total, the incident lasted just over a minute before the flight returned to its planned altitude.
Turbulence, already the leading cause of non-fatal injuries in shipboard accidents, is becoming increasingly common and serious as global warming affects weather patterns and the Earth’s atmosphere.
The preliminary report, based on data from the plane’s ‘black box’ flight recorder, said it was likely flying over an area of convective activity at 35,000 feet when the turbulence hit. Convective weather usually refers to thunderstorms or developing clouds. An investigation by the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau is ongoing.
The news of Singapore Airlines’ payouts came after an Austrian Airlines plane suffered so much damage from a hailstorm on Sunday that its nose cone was torn off and the cockpit windows were seriously damaged.
The plane, flying from Palma de Mallorca, encountered the storm shortly before arriving at Vienna’s Schwechat Airport. The airline, part of Germany’s Lufthansa Group, said in a statement that the plane, including the cockpit windows, nose and upholstery of the plane, was “damaged by hail.”
“The aircraft encountered a thunderstorm cell during its approach to Vienna, which, according to the flight crew, was not visible on the weather radar,” the airline said. The airline said all passengers on the flight were unharmed.
The flight’s crew – with 173 passengers and six crew members – made a Mayday call due to the extent of the damage, the airline said, adding that the flight landed safely in Vienna.