SQ321 turbulence: Thai doctor hailed for leading evacuation to treat injured

Wichanya Burirak said it was chaotic with “all sorts of people walking and running around” as she and her colleagues waited on the tarmac to receive the aircraft, which touched down earlier than expected.

“Initially our team was told the aircraft would arrive around 4pm, but it landed early at 3.51pm,” Wichanya said, adding she did not have much time to draw up an evacuation plan.

The doctor received a report that one person had died before she entered the plane carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members.

Wichanya inspected the twin-aisle jetliner’s heavily damaged cabin strewn with food and luggage, while oxygen masks and electrical panels hung from the ceiling as passengers sat in shock.

“After assessing the situation, I contacted Suvarnabhumi Airport’s director [Kittipong Kittikachorn] and requested approval to implement the plan for a mass casualty incident,” she said.

Wichanya rapidly assembled her team that also included rescuers and paramedics from a nearby hospital.

“We quickly identified the passengers with serious injuries for emergency transfer to hospital,” she said, adding the priority was sending all injured passengers to hospital within two hours of landing.

Ambulances transported wounded fliers and crew from the airport to the Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, 19km away in 15 minutes, half the time usually taken.

Wichanya said she had handled multiple emergency landings triggered by turbulence in her 12-year stint at Suvarnabhumi, but the Singapore Airlines episode was on a different scale.

“In one case, an Airbus A380 asked for permission to send just one passenger to hospital,” she said.

Wichanya added her fascination with flights influenced her decision to pursue an airport-based job after graduating from Chiang