Gravitational changes, 178-feet drop caused injuries on Singapore Airlines jet that hit turbulence

A 73-year-old British man died of a suspected heart attack and dozens were injured after the Boeing 777, which was flying from London’s Heathrow airport to Singapore on May 21, ran into turbulence that hurled people and items around the cabin. The plane, with 211 passengers and 18 crew members, made an emergency landing in Bangkok.

Singapore's Transport Ministry said investigators, including those from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing, had compiled a chronology of events based on the preliminary analysis of the flight's data and cockpit voice recorders.

Early findings showed the aircraft was passing over the south of Myanmar at 37,000 feet feet when it began to experience vibration due to changes in the gravitational force, the ministry said. The plane then climbed to an altitude of up to 37,362 feet and increased speed possibly due to an updraft, it said. The plane's autopilot then sought to pitch the jet downwards to its earlier altitude.