Ngokwesitatimende seSingapore Airlines, iFlight SQ321 isuke esikhumulweni sezindiza iHeathrow ngoMsombuluko kusihlwa, ilayishe abagibeli abangu-211 kanye nabasebenzi abangu-18. Ngesikhathi indizela phezu kwe-Bay of Bengal eduze kwaseThailand ngoLwesibili, indiza ihlangabezane "nesiyaluyalu esikhulu" esiholele ekufeni komuntu oyedwa esikebheni. Kulimale abantu abambalwa endizeni.
Ngokusho kwe-FlightRadar24, indiza enkulu yehle isuka ku-37,000 feet (11,278 metres) yaya ku-31,000 feet (9,449 metres) esikhathini esingangemizuzu emithathu njengoba isondela ogwini lwaseThailand.
I-Boeing 777 kudingeke ukuthi ishintshe indlela yayo eya eBangkok futhi yaphoqeleka ukuthi ifike endaweni ephuthumayo, ngaphambi nje kwehora lesine ntambama.
Esitatimendeni sayo esisemthethweni, Singapore Airlines ukuqinisekisile ukuthi kukhona abalimele abaningi kanye nokufa komuntu oyedwa ebhodini I-Boeing 777-300ER. Umthwali wemoto udlulise amazwi enduduzo emndenini kamufi.
Isiyaluyalu yinto okunzima ukuyibikezela ngenxa yezizathu ezahlukahlukene. Iziyaluyalu zingabangelwa ukugeleza komoya phezu kwezintaba, ama-jet stream neziphepho zasezindaweni ezishisayo, konke okungaphazamisa ukugeleza komoya okunokuthula. I-US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ihlukanisa isiyaluyalu ngamaleveli amane, kusukela 'kukukhanya' kuya 'kudlulele'. Ezimweni zesiphithiphithi 'esinzima', indiza ingase ibe nezinguquko ezisheshayo ekuphakameni kanye/noma isimo sengqondo, okungase kuholele ezikhathini ezimfushane lapho umshayeli wendiza ehluleka ukulawula, njengoba kushiwo yi-NOAA.
Nakuba i-Boeing 777 nezinye izindiza zanamuhla zenzelwe ukubekezelela ngisho neziyaluyalu ezinzima kakhulu, kuseyingozi kubagibeli abangakunaki ukubopha amabhande abo.
Okokugcina i-Singapore Airlines yehlelwa isigameko esibuhlungu, esibandakanya ukufa kwaba ngo-2000, lapho enye ye-Boeing 747s yayo iphahlazeka ngesikhathi isuka esikhumulweni sezindiza sase-Taiwan i-Chiang Kai-shek. Umzila wezindiza uvaliwe ngenxa yesishingishane, futhi indiza yashayisana nemishini yokwakha emgwaqeni wezindiza. Le ngozi enyantisayo iholele ekulahlekelweni kwabagibeli abangu-79 nabasebenzi abane.
