Singapore Airlines plane plunged nearly 180ft in just FOUR SECONDS during deadly turbulence that left Brit granddad dead

THE terrifying Singapore Airlines flight that suffered deadly turbulence plunged nearly 180ft in just four seconds.

A packed Boeing jet plunged 7,000ft in a six minute death drop in a horror flight that killed a Brit granddad and left several badly injured in hospital.

The packed Boeing jet plunged 7,000ft in a six minute death drop leaving hundreds of passengers fearing for their lives

‘All hell broke loose’

One passenger onboard claimed the flight was “quite smooth” for the majority of the journey before chaos erupted.

Andrew Davies, who had been travelling to New Zealand for business, recalled seeing the seatbelt sign suddenly light up as panic set in.

He fastened his seatbelt, telling CNN: “Thank goodness I did because within moments of doing that, all hell broke loose.

“The plane just felt like it dropped. It probably only lasted a few seconds, but I remember vividly seeing shoes and iPads and iPhones and cushions and blankets and cutlery and plates and cups flying through the air and crashing to the ceiling.

“The gentleman next to me had a cup of coffee, which went straight all over me and up to the ceiling.”

Sitting right behind Davies was granddad Geoff Kitchen.

Davies recalled there being “so much screaming” as passengers tended to Kitchen, carried him out of his seat, and administered CPR.

Another nearby passenger had “a big gash in her head and blood pouring down her face”, he said.

Many horrified passengers managed to walk off the plane but quickly discovered they had suffered internal injuries which were only spotted later at the hospital.

Nine underwent surgery on Tuesday with five more operations scheduled for today.

The ICU patients include six Britons, six Malaysians, three Australians, two Singaporeans and one each from Hong Kong, New Zealand, and the Philippines – while 27 others were discharged.

Overall, 104 people on board needed medical care.

Passenger Josh Silverstone, 24, from London said: “I only had a cut in my eye and a chipped tooth, it could be way worse.

“Everything was fine until I arrived back in the airport and I couldn’t stop vomiting. I couldn’t walk – it was pretty bad.

“I woke up on the floor. I didn’t realise what happened – I must’ve hit my head somewhere.

“There were people laying out on the floor – they were paralysed.”

The plane was later diverted to Bangkok after the tragic turbulence with 143 passengers and crew being flown to Singapore.

Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said they landed early this morning.

Retired insurance worker Kitchen’s autopsy process is ongoing, although early investigations suggested he suffered a heart condition.

CEO Goh said Singapore Airlines was “deeply saddened by this incident” and “very sorry for the traumatic experience” passengers endured as he extended his condolences to Kitchen’s loved ones.

A Boeing spokesman said: “We are in contact with Singapore Airlines regarding flight SQ321 and stand ready to support them.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one, and our thoughts are with the passengers and crew.”

Singapore’s Ministry of Transport is also investigating the ordeal and probing whether instruments on board the aircraft could have detected the deadly turbulence.

Attention was focused on the Boeing’s weather radar amid claims raised by pilots that it failed to spot dangers – and that the more advanced systems required more pilot training.