The Singapore Airlines turbulence is the latest controversy to strike Boeing 777: A complete timeline of when the plane put passenger lives at risk

The Singapore Airline turbulence disaster which resulted in the death of a British grandfather and dozens of injuries is the latest in a string of incidents affecting passengers on Boeing's 777 jets.

The triple sevens are among the bestselling long haul aircraft in the world, and were the first commercial jets designed entirely by computer. 

But since coming into service in 1995, they have been at the centre of a number of controversies - including in April when a whistleblower accused Boeing of taking shortcuts when building it.

Pilot and crew error, as well as undiagnosed faults and misfortune, can all play a part in air disasters, which the 777s have been no stranger to over the years - with crash-landings to engine problems and parts of the plane falling out of the sky.

Here, MailOnline looks at the times passengers and crew on the aircraft have had their lives put at risk. 

A passenger died and dozens of others were injured on a flight from London to Singapore, forcing an emergency landing in Thailand. Pictured: The plane and ambulances are seen on the tarmac at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok

Geoffrey Kitchen, 73, has been identified as the British passenger who died aboard the Boeing 777 plane 

Fight SQ321's sudden drop unleashed mayhem onboard and forced the plane to make an emergency landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi

Beijing to London - British Airways Flight 38 - January 2008

British Airways Flight 38 crashed just short of the runway when it was landing at Heathrow on January 17 2008.

The Boeing 777-200ER, which had flown in from Beijing early that morning, with its flight path over Mongolia, Siberia, and Scandinavia - where temperatures were as low as −74°C (−101 °F) - meaning the crew kept a close eye on the fuel temperatures.

While the fuel itself did not freeze, small amounts of water in it did - forming a slush of ice.

It did not affect the flight until it was coming into landing, with the frozen liquid blocking the flow of fuel to the engines.

The passenger jet suffered a loss of power - which the pilot and first officer cleverly mitigated with their quick actions.

An internal BA investigation found that captain Peter Burkill changed the angles of the plane's wing flaps in order to reduce the drag, helping the aircraft to maintain speed.

A British Airways Boeing 777 aircraft which made an emergency crash landing at Heathrow airport after suffering engine failure on the approach to Heathrow

Meanwhile senior first officer John Coward pushed the plane's nose towards the ground in order to accelerate before levelling out just before the Boeing crashed on to the grass.

All 136 passengers and 16 crew on the flight were safely evacuated from the wreckage. 

Miraculously, only one passenger suffered serious injuries - concussion and a broken leg - while four crew members and eight passengers sustained minor injuries.

Seoul to San Francisco - Asiana Airlines Flight 214 - Boeing 777-200 - July 2013 

Asiana Airlines Flight 214's catastrophic landing short of the runway at San Francisco Airport was the first fatal crash of a 777 since it entered service in 1995.

The flight from Incheon, near Seoul in South Korea, was about to land when the tail section broke off after striking the seawall before the runway.

Of the 307 people on board, three died in the crash. Another 187 were injured, 49 of them seriously - including four flight attendants who were thrown onto the runway.

The wreckage of Asiana Flight 214 lies on the ground after it crashed at the San Francisco International Airport in July 2013

An investigation into the cause of the crash concluded that it was caused by the flight crew's mismanagement of the final approach.

Contributing factors included Asiana Airlines' pilot training and deficiencies with Boeing's flight documentation.

India to Dubai - Emirates Flight 251 - August 2016

Emirates Flight 521 crashed as it aborted its landing at Dubai International Airport in August 2016.

The plane, which had flown in from Trivandrum, India, hit the runway and skidded some 800 metres and swung to the right as its landing gear was partly retracted.

The cabin began to fill with smoke as several fires started, with videos showing passengers grabbing their luggage and failing to evacuate quickly.

Incredibly, all 282 passengers and 18 crew on the flight did manage to escape through emergency exits as the cabin filled with smoke and were able to sprint to safety moments before the plane exploded into flames. 

All of those on board, including 24 Britons and six Americans, were led to safety at Dubai International Airport, minutes before the Boeing 777 was completely destroyed in a massive fireball. 

Emirates Flight 521 crashed as it aborted its landing at Dubai International Airport in August 2016. It caught on fire and was almost completely destroyed

Tragically, airport firefighter Jasim Issa Mohammed Hassan was killed as he helped to battle the blaze, while 32 people were injured including four with serious injuries.

The accident is the only hull loss of an Emirates aircraft. 

A 2020 report into the accident concluded that 'The flight crew reliance on automation and lack of training in flying go-arounds from close to the runway significantly affected the flight crew performance in a critical flight situation which was different to that experienced by them during their simulated training flights.'

Denver to Hawaii - United Airlines Flight 328 - Boeing 777-200 - February 2021

United Airlines Flight 328 was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Denver when it suffered major damage to one of its engines.

Video recorded by passengers aboard the flight to Honolulu, Hawaii, which was carrying 231 travelers and 10 crew members, shows how the engine became engulfed in flames.

The pilot made a mayday call and diverted the Boeing 777-200 back to Denver and landed safely at 1.30pm local time, about 30 minutes after takeoff.

Video recorded by passengers aboard Flight UA328, which was carrying 231 travelers and 10 crew members, shows the engine on fire

Huge pieces of debris from the engine were shed by the plane over Denver, with pictures showing parts of the fuselage on a front lawn.

One homeowner in the suburb of Broomfield, Colorado told KMGH-TV they were making a sandwich in their kitchen when debris crashed through their roof and landed just two feet away.

Passengers described feeling the heat from the fire and many believed they were just moments dying. Miraculously, there were no reported injuries either on board or on the ground.

San Francisco to Osaka - United Airlines Flight 35- March 2024

The United Airlines flight 35 left San Francisco Airport on its way to Osaka in Japan and was barely off the runway when the Boeing 777-200's wheel came off

A 256lb wheel fell from a United Airlines plane shortly after take-off in San Francisco  and crushed cars parked below as it plummeted to the ground. 

The United Airlines flight 35 left San Francisco Airport on its way to Osaka in Japan and was barely off the runway when the Boeing 777-200's wheel came off.

Passengers said it felt like a routine take off, and were not told that something had gone wrong until around 10 minutes into the flight.

The plane with 235 passengers and 14 crew diverted to Los Angeles Airport after it was alerted to the landing gear failure.

The aircraft dumped fuel before making an emergency landing, with unharmed passengers having a three-hour layover before heading back on their journies. 

Sydney to San Francisco - United Airlines Flight 830 - March 2024

A United Boeing jet bound for San Francisco (seen here) was forced to land after hydraulic fluid was filmed spewing from its landing gear area moments after take off

The forced landing happened as the San Francisco-bound 777-300 took off from Sydney, as fluid was seen leaking from its undercarriage

United Airlines Flight 830 was forced to land shortly after takeoff at Sydney Airport due to hydraulic fluid leaking from its landing gear area.

The incident on March 11 was reported to have been the fifth involving a Boeing plane in the span of seven days.

The forced landing happened as the Boeing 777-300 set off for its cross-Pacific flight to San Francisco with fluid filmed streaming from its undercarriage.

A United Airlines spokesperson said that the flight returned to Sydney due to a hydraulic leak, and added that the plane landed safely and passengers disembarked normally at the gate. There were no injuries.