Singapore A388 near Singapore on Jun 18th 2015, turbulence injures three
Last Update: December 8, 2017 / 14:26:05 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Jun 18, 2015
Classification
Report
Cause
Turbulence
Airline
Singapore Airlines
Flight number
SQ-861
Departure
Hong Kong, China
Destination
Singapore, Singapore
Aircraft Registration
9V-SKI
Aircraft Type
Airbus A380-800
ICAO Type Designator
A388
Singapore's AIB (SAIB) released their brief final report without a conclusion into the occurrence rated an accident.
The SAIB reported that the three flight attendants working the in the aft galley of the upper deck were lifted off the floor and fell back onto the floor coming to sit on the floor. All three continued duties and recognized being injured only after getting seated for landing. After landing the purser informed the flight deck that three cabin crew had fallen the turbulence encounter, medical assistance was arranged.
The seriously injured flight attendant received a fracture on her right foot between heel and toes and reported, when she fell she hit a cart with her back and fell on her hip suffering a minor hip injury, at the same time one of the two other collegues fell onto her right foot.
The SAIB reported while the aircraft was descending between 7000 and 3000 feet MSL: "The flight crew observed from the ND that the return on their weather radar was mainly black with spots of green which suggested that there was no significant weather around their approach path."
The SAIB analysed:
During the descent from 7,000 to 3,000 feet, the flight crew saw isolated cumulus (CU) clouds ahead, but no thunderstorm cells, both outside the aircraft through the window as well on the NDs. To avoid the CU clouds, the SFO elected to fly through clear spaces between the clouds, attempting only a parallel track of about 3 to 4 nm to the left of the clouds. In the end, such a deviation did not prove sufficient.
The weather radar is a useful tool for detecting, analysing and avoiding adverse weather and turbulence. This occurrence serves as a reminder that flight crews should constantly monitor the weather radar information and deviate the flight path from any adverse weather by as much as practicable.
Preservation of recorders
The flight crew did not indicate in the technical log for the FDR/CVR to be removed as they had assessed that the turbulence lasted only a couple of seconds and it did not occur to them that the turbulence was severe, and as they did not know the extent of the injuries to the cabin crew members immediately after the event. The CVR data for the incident flight was overwritten in the subsequent flight and was not available to the investigation team for analysis.
The importance of airline operators ensuring a robust procedure to prevent flight recordings from being overwritten cannot be over emphasised.
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Jun 18, 2015
Classification
Report
Cause
Turbulence
Airline
Singapore Airlines
Flight number
SQ-861
Departure
Hong Kong, China
Destination
Singapore, Singapore
Aircraft Registration
9V-SKI
Aircraft Type
Airbus A380-800
ICAO Type Designator
A388
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
Article source
You can read 2 more free articles without a subscription.
Subscribe now and continue reading without any limits!
Read unlimited articles and receive our daily update briefing. Gain better insights into what is happening in commercial aviation safety.
Send tip
Support AeroInside by sending a small tip amount.
Related articles
Singapore A388 at Delhi on May 8th 2019, nose wheel steering failure
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380-800, registration 9V-SKI performing flight SQ-406 from Singapore (Singapore) to Delhi (India) with 228 people on…
Singapore B738 at Kathmandu on May 6th 2022, tail scrape on departure
A Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration 9V-MGL performing flight SQ-439 from Kathmandu (Nepal) to Singapore (Singapore) with 165 passengers…
Singapore B744 at Nairobi on Apr 17th 2023, rejected takeoff due to bird strike
A Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration 9V-SFO performing flight SQ-7343 from Nairobi (Kenya) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), was…
Singapore B744 near Hong Kong on Mar 24th 2023, fire indication
A Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration 9V-SFN performing flight SQ-7858 from Singapore (Singapore) to Shanghai Pudong (China)…
Singapore B38M at Singapore on Dec 3rd 2021, both left main tyres damaged on landing
A Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration 9V-MBF performing flight SQ-153 from Phnom Penh (Cambodia) to Singapore (Singapore), landed on…
Singapore A388 near Frankfurt on Nov 24th 2022, cabin pressurization problem
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380-800, registration 9V-SKQ performing flight SQ-317 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Singapore (Singapore) with 379…
Newest articles
Nepal A320 at Kathmandu on May 27th 2023, bird strike
A Nepal Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration 9N-AKW performing flight RA-225 from Kathmandu (Nepal) to Bangalore (India), was climbing out of…
Egypt B738 at Jeddah on May 28th 2023, tyre damage on landing
An Egypt Air Boeing 737-800, registration SU-GEM performing flight MS-643 from Cairo (Egypt) to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), landed on Jeddah's runway 16R…
Subscribe today
Are you researching aviation incidents? Get access to AeroInside Insights, unlimited read access and receive the daily newsletter.
Pick your plan and subscribePartner

A new way to document and demonstrate airworthiness compliance and aircraft value. Find out more.

ELITE Simulation Solutions is a leading global provider of Flight Simulation Training Devices, IFR training software as well as flight controls and related services. Find out more.
SafetyScan Pro provides streamlined access to thousands of aviation accident reports. Tailored for your safety management efforts. Book your demo today
AeroInside Blog
Popular aircraft
Airbus A320Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737-800 MAX
Popular airlines
American AirlinesUnited
Delta
Air Canada
Lufthansa
British Airways