British grandfather who died in Singapore Airlines turbulence a ‘wonderful human being’
A British grandfather who died on a turbulence-hit Singapore Airlines flight has been described as “the most wonderful human being that you could ever know” by a close friend.
Geoffrey Ralph Kitchen and his wife Linda, were among 47 British passengers aboard the Singapore Airlines flight when it plunged around 6,000ft within minutes.
Lizzie Atkins, a friend of Kitchen, paid a moving tribute to the retired insurance worker who suffered a suspected heart attack on the flight from London.
Kitchen, 73, was on the trip of a lifetime with his wife that he had “planned for a long time” and was “very excited” about.
Ms Atkins, a fellow member of Bristol-based Thornbury musical theatre group, said: “He would do anything for you. He was just amazing.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said: “He was just a remarkable man, really. He was stable and reliable, and you always knew you were in safe hands with Geoff.
“He had a really dry sense of humour and had a twinkle in his eye and every time you saw him, you just knew that he was going to make a funny joke.”
She added: “He was the most wonderful human being that you could ever know, one of the top ones.”
Ms Atkins said the father of two was a “staunch supporter” of their theatre group, and had been a member for 35 years.
She said: “Within the group he played many roles, not just on the stage, but also he was the secretary, treasurer, he was the chairman and he would do anything for you, anything for the group.
She said of the couple’s dream trip: “Last time I saw him just after New Year’s, they were both talking about this.
“They were both very adventurous travellers, they loved to travel and this was something they were particularly looking forward to. They were going on a cruise in Indonesia and then onto Australia, and so it had been planned for a long time and was very exciting.”
More than 70 other passengers and crew members were injured on the flight with seven others in a serious condition and thought to be in intensive care.
The plane was forced to make an emergency landing, 11 hours into the flight, at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport.
The aircraft hit an air pocket and plummeted an astonishing 6,000ft in just five minutes.
The 16-year-old Boeing 777 left Heathrow at 10.17pm on Monday and was diverted to Bangkok, landing at 3.45pm local time (9.45am BST) on Tuesday.
There were 211 passengers and 18 crew on board - including 47 passengers from the UK and four Irish nationals.
Singapore Airlines said: “Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, operating from London Heathrow to Singapore on May 20, encountered severe turbulence en route.
“We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board.
“Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.”
