Seventy‑three‑year‑old Geoff Kitchen, a British man with a known history of coronary artery disease, was thrown from his seat and landed on a fellow passenger. He died shortly after the incident, and his wife suffered a broken back.

At an inquest in the United Kingdom, Dr Peter Harrowing testified that the physiological effect of the turbulence caused Mr Kitchen’s heart to stop, leading to cardiac failure. The coroner agreed, concluding that the death resulted from the turbulence’s impact on his cardiovascular system.

Investigators found the turbulence was convectively induced – a rapidly growing cloud produced strong up‑ and downdrafts that the aircraft’s weather radar did not detect. The pilots saw clear skies on their displays, and the seat‑belt sign was only switched on 17 seconds before the jolt, leaving no time for a cabin warning.

The turbulence injured many others: 56 people suffered serious injuries, 23 had minor injuries, and 149 passengers escaped unharmed.

The case shows why severe turbulence can be especially dangerous for passengers with existing heart conditions. Sudden, intense forces can stress the heart enough to trigger cardiac arrest, even when the aircraft’s systems do not warn of the danger.