SINGAPORE – The turbulence that shook a Scoot flight bound for Guangzhou from Singapore
in September 2024
, seriously injuring two, was likely due to a storm cell that did not appear on the plane’s weather radar.
Flight TR100, carrying 339 passengers and headed for Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, was hit by turbulence during its descent at about 8.40am on Sept 6, 2024. The seat-belt sign was off at the time.
Although Super Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Guangdong – of which Guangzhou is the capital – on the same day, it was far away and did not lead to the turbulence.
These details were made public in a Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) report dated Oct 4. The TSIB, a department in the Ministry of Transport, classified the occurrence as an accident.
The storm cell, situated behind the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner wide-body jet, was not detected by its weather radar, which is typically positioned at the nose of an aircraft to detect weather ahead.
The storm cell was also not visible from the cockpit windows.
The accident prompted Scoot to review its guidelines for operating in areas affected by typhoons, the report revealed.
Scoot’s updated guidelines state that seat-belt signs must be on from take-off until the point in a flight where an aircraft finishes its climb and transitions to cruising at its planned altitude. The sign must also be on from the point where a flight starts descending until landing.
Scoot also issued instructions on Oct 14, 2024, requiring flight and cabin crew to remind passengers to keep their seat belts fastened while seated and to avoid moving around when the signs are on, according to the report.
A new directive also emphasises the need for flight crew to ensure passengers and cabin crew remain seated during critical phases of flight, or when navigating near areas of poor weather conditions.
From Nov 1, 2024, the airline put the International Air Transport Association’s Turbulence Aware app on tablets or laptops used by pilots. The platform provides real-time data on turbulence.
Flight TR100 was a relatively smooth flight, with only patches of light turbulence, said the report, and its two pilots did not observe any bad weather on the radar or along the flight path.
At about 8am, one of the pilots switched off the seat-belt signs so passengers could use the toilets before descent, the report said.
As the weather radar remained clear, the pilot did not turn the seat-belt sign back on even as the plane began descending.
The aircraft had also not reached an altitude of 10,000 feet, at which point the flight crew would be required to turn on the seat-belt signs, the report noted.
At about 8.45am, when the aircraft was descending from an altitude of 18,700 feet, turbulence struck. The pilots switched on the seat-belt signs as soon as the turbulence was felt.
Eleven people were injured, including 10 of 11 cabin crew.
Two of them – a passenger and a cabin crew member – were seriously hurt. Nine cabin crew members had minor injuries.
The passenger underwent surgery at a hospital in Guangzhou for a fractured lumbar spinal bone in the lower back, while the crew member had right foot fractures and was operated on in Singapore.
In response to questions from The Straits Times, a Scoot spokeswoman said the airline “apologises to all customers for (their) experience on board flight TR100 on Sept 6, 2024, which encountered unexpected turbulence”.
She added: “The safety and well-being of our customers and staff are always Scoot’s top priority.”
Scoot will continue to review its operating procedures regularly and strengthen its safety protocols where appropriate, she said.
Meanwhile, in separate incidents, two private jets took off from Seletar Airport at night in 2024 while lined up on the edge of the runway, instead of the centre line.
The misaligned take-offs damaged runway lights and the jets themselves, according to a TSIB report dated Aug 27. TSIB classified both cases as serious incidents. Investigators found that the pilots had likely mistaken the lights on the right edge of the runway for the centre line while taking off.
The first incident on July 17, 2024, involved a Dassault Falcon 900EX jet bound for Muscat, Oman, operated by insurance and asset management company Allianz Se.
During take-off at about 9.22pm, the pilots heard a loud noise but continued the flight. After landing, damage to its nose landing gear, including a flat tyre and a protective door panel, was found.
A runway inspection in Singapore shortly after the flight took off found one damaged runway edge light near an adjoining taxiway, which connects the runway with other airport facilities.
Data from the aircraft’s flight recorder and airport CCTV showed that the jet had begun its take-off roll along the runway’s right edge.
A similar incident occurred less than three months later, on Oct 6, 2024, when a Bombardier Global 6000 jet operated by charter airline Luxaviation took off from the same runway bound for Bangalore, India.
After departure at 8.42pm, seven runway edge lights and one taxiway light were found damaged.
The aircraft landed safely, but checks revealed damage to its right main landing gear, including deep tyre cuts and hydraulic fluid leaks.
Investigators again found that the aircraft had rolled on the right-hand edge of the runway.
TSIB’s investigation pointed to reduced visibility and confusing visual cues as key factors in the misaligned take-offs.
Both incidents occurred at night, when the absence of natural light combined with the lack of runway centre-line lighting made it harder for pilots to orient themselves.
At the same time, bright white edge lights and the layout of a taxiway that leads into the runway may have visually misled the crews. Additionally, the paved area on the right side of the runway may have created a misleading impression of being positioned in the centre, the report said.
In the second incident, debris from the broken lights remained on the runway until after two other aircraft had landed.
Unlike Changi Airport, Seletar Airport does not have an automated Foreign Object Debris detection system and relies on visual reports and four daily manual inspections.
Changi Airport Group, which also manages Seletar Airport, has since issued safety notices reminding pilots to ensure proper alignment with the centre line.
The airport plans to shift the taxiway edge lights to reduce the likelihood of misalignment, with work expected to finish by the fourth quarter of 2025.
An airfield lighting system to detect failures will be in place by the first quarter of 2027. This will alert the runway inspection team to any faults and resulting debris.
TSIB also recommended that Seletar Airport adopt technologies to detect debris early.
Seletar Airport general manager Michael Lee told ST that safety is of utmost priority, and the airport’s infrastructure meets international standards and Singapore’s air navigation regulations.
“Notwithstanding (this), we have continued to actively review and enhance procedures in collaboration with airport partners and the pilots involved,” he said, adding that the airport remains committed to ensuring a safe environment for all users.
ST has contacted Allianz Se and Luxaviation for comment.
