Travellers on Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 faced a terrifying situation on May 21 when their flight was hit by severe turbulence.

A 73-year-old British man, Geoff Kitchen, died in the incident and at least 71 people were injured.

Deaths caused by plane turbulence are very rare but experts think turbulence might be becoming more frequent due to the effects of climate change.

A study by scientists at Reading University found that higher temperatures were leading to significant increases in turbulence.

Turbulence can be caused by storm clouds but clear-air turbulence is much more dangerous as there are no clouds to indicate potential risks.

Best type of plane to avoid turbulence

According to experts, turbulence will likely be felt more on smaller planes because they weigh less which means they’re more likely to move with the air.

The Boeing 787-9 has a large wing loading and can anticipate the movement of the plane if hit by turbulence.

The Airbus 340-500/600 also has a large wing loading which should mean it is less impacted by turbulence.

In general, passengers on smaller planes are much more likely to feel the effects of turbulence.

Best seat to avoid turbulence

Passengers seated at the back of the plane are most likely to experience the worst impacts of turbulence.

The back of the plane can bounce more during turbulence, leaving passengers more vulnerable to movement.

Flight attendants say that usually the most stable area of the plane is above the wing and it could be the best place to sit to avoid turbulence.

Despite the recent incident, turbulence that causes injuries is still extremely rare and the majority of the time the plane isn’t moving as much as passengers might think.

Experts say the best way to protect yourself from turbulence is to wear your seatbelt at all times, even if the seatbelt sign is off.