Flight History
On 5 September 2024, a Boeing B787-9 aircraft, registration 9V-OJD, operated a scheduled flight from Singapore Changi Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. The flight crew comprised a Pilot-in-Command (PIC) and a First Officer (FO). The PIC served as Pilot Flying and the FO as Pilot Monitoring. The pre-flight briefing, including weather charts, indicated isolated embedded cumulonimbus clouds over Ho Chi Minh FIR and occasional embedded cumulonimbus over the South China Sea, with Super Typhoon Yagi about 250 nm southwest of Guangzhou, moving westward.
The aircraft departed at approximately 2146 UTC. During the cruise at 35,000 feet in Ho Chi Minh FIR, the flight encountered patches of light turbulence, and the fasten-seat-belt signs were switched on. The crew made minor deviations to avoid weather. At about 0003 UTC on 6 September, the aircraft entered Sanya FIR. The PIC observed no weather returns on the weather radar and clear skies outside. The fasten-seat-belt signs were turned off to allow passengers to use lavatories before descent.
Upon entering Hong Kong FIR, the crew requested and received approval to deviate up to 15 nm to avoid isolated weather patches. About 20 minutes before top of descent, the PIC made a public address reminding passengers of upcoming turbulence and fasten-seat-belt signs. The cabin crew began preparing the cabin for landing.
At 0029 UTC, Hong Kong ATC instructed the crew to descend to 22,000 feet and proceed direct to waypoint TAMOT. During descent, the weather radar showed no returns, and the flight path appeared clear. At 0041 UTC, ATC instructed a further descent to 14,800 feet. The PIC noted small green patches 30 nm left but assessed the path as smooth.
Turbulence Encounter
At about 0044 UTC, while descending through 18,700 feet near waypoint TAMOT, the aircraft encountered turbulence. Digital flight data recorder (DFDR) data showed vertical acceleration fluctuating from +1G to +0.71G in 0.99 seconds, then spiking to +2.86G in 0.43 seconds (activating the stick shaker), before dropping to +0.36G and stabilizing after about 4 seconds. The autopilot remained engaged; the PIC switched on fasten-seat-belt signs immediately. Indicated wind speed was relatively stable. The aircraft continued descent to 14,800 feet and leveled off. The PIC reported the turbulence to Guangzhou ATC. The rest of the flight was smooth.
Injuries
A passenger sustained a fractured lumbar spinal bone and underwent surgery in Guangzhou. A cabin crew member sustained right foot fractures and underwent surgery in Singapore. Nine other cabin crew members sustained minor injuries. Another passenger reported a suspected sprained ankle but was assessed as uninjured. In total, two serious injuries and nine minor injuries were recorded among cabin crew and passengers; flight crew were uninjured.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft was a Boeing B787-9, registration 9V-OJD, operated by Scoot. The PIC, aged 49, held an Airline Transport Pilot Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, valid until 28 February 2025, with a Class 1 medical certificate. The aircraft sustained no damage.
Post-Event Actions
After the turbulence, the crew-in-charge (CIC) made an announcement instructing seat belts fastened. Two passengers and two cabin crew were found injured. The CIC assessed injuries and advised the PIC that urgent medical assistance was not needed via Med Link, but requested wheelchairs and medical help upon arrival. The flight crew arranged this via the operator’s ground handling agent. One injured cabin crew member was replaced. The aircraft landed in Guangzhou at 0110 UTC without further incident.