Man died of cardiac arrest on flight, inquest told

Image source, Linda Kitchen Image caption, Linda and Geoff Kitchen were beginning a six-week holiday to Singapore, Indonesia and Australia when their flight experienced severe turbulence

A British man who died on board a Singapore Airlines flight suffered a cardiac arrest after the plane was hit by severe turbulence, an inquest has been told.

Geoff Kitchen, from Thornbury in South Gloucestershire, died on 21 May 2024 after the Boeing 777 plane travelling from London Heathrow to Singapore encountered a sudden drop in altitude near the south western region of Myanmar.

The plane was later diverted to Bangkok, Thailand, where the 73-year-old was pronounced dead.

Dr Peter Harrowing, assistant coroner for Avon, said: "I am satisfied that it was the physiological effect of the aircraft turbulence which precipitated the cardiac arrest and ultimately Geoff's demise."

Harrowing reached the narrative conclusion into Kitchen's death at a hearing at Avon Coroners' Court earlier.