The Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER involved in a deadly turbulence event on 21 May has returned to Singapore from Bangkok, as investigations get under way. 

The 777 (9V-SWM) landed in Singapore from the Thai capital on 26 May at 13:39 local time, says SIA. 

SIA-777-c-N509FZ_Shutterstock

Source: Shutterstock

It comes days after investigators retrieved the flight recorders of the aircraft, which was operating flight SQ321 from London to Singapore when it was struck by severe turbulence. 

Singapore transport minister Chee Hong Tat confirmed on 24 May that the country’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau has “obtained the data” from the cockpit-voice and flight-data recorders. 

Chee adds: “They are going through the data from these two recorders now to be able to ascertain what happened during those moments.” 

The accident left one passenger dead, as well as several others seriously injured. 

The upset occurred over the Irrawaddy river basin, some 10h after the 777 departed London Heathrow for Singapore with 211 passengers and 18 crew members. It diverted to Bangkok, after the crew declared a medical emergency, landing at 15:45 local time on 21 May.

In an update on 26 May, SIA says 40 passengers and one crew member remain in Bangkok for medical treatment. 

According to Cirium fleets data, the aircraft (MSN34578) was delivered to SIA in 2008, and is powered by two GE Aerospace GE90-115BL engines.