Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau said pilots should adopt a more conservative approach when flying near weather and take steps to secure the cabin earlier after separate turbulence incidents involving a Singapore Airlines (SIA) and a Scoot flight left cabin crew injured.
In final reports released about a year after the incidents, the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) said the cases underscored the need for flight crews to be cautious when operating near weather and to take early action to reduce the risk of injuries from turbulence.The bureau conducts independent investigations into air, marine and rail accidents and incidents. Its reports are not meant to assign blame, it said.
TSIB classified both occurrences as accidents. In both reports, the bureau said no safety recommendation was proposed in view of the safety actions taken by the operators.On Jun 27, 2025, an SIA Airbus A350-900 was descending to Shanghai Pudong International Airport when it encountered turbulence at around 27,000 feet.
Shortly after commencing the descent, the flight crew observed that the weather radar display showed two weather cells on their flight path, with a clear area between the two masses which could also be seen through the windshield.
Both pilots decided to navigate the aircraft through the path, which was about 20 nautical miles wide. During this, the plane entered a layer of cloud and had to rely on the weather radar for navigation.When the aircraft exited the cloud layer, the flight crew realised that it was very close to the left weather cell. A change of heading was made, but the plane could not avoid turbulence.
This resulted in injuries to six cabin crew members, including one who suffered a left ankle fracture. The other five sustained minor injuries, while no passengers or flight crew were injured.
At the time, the fasten-seat-belt signs were on for passengers, but the cabin crew were allowed to continue with their duties. Instructing the crew to be seated before travelling between the weather cells could have reduced the risk of turbulence injury, TSIB said.
This incident is a reminder that planes’ onboard radar has limitations and that displayed weather information may not accurately represent the external weather conditions, especially when visibility is poor, said TSIB.
Afterwards, SIA revised its secure cabin procedure to encourage pilots to take a more conservative approach to turbulence management.
CNA
