British Airways Flight Drops 28,000 Feet in Emergency
A British Airways flight from London to Chicago declared an emergency over Ireland after experiencing a technical issue that prompted a rapid descent of about 28,000 feet before the aircraft safely returned to Heathrow Airport.
British Airways Flight BA295 Declares Emergency
Flight BA295 departed London Heathrow for Chicago O’Hare on October 5 aboard a Boeing 777-200ER.
After climbing to around 37,000 feet, the aircraft transmitted the international 7700 general emergency code and rapidly descended to approximately 9,000 feet while flying over Ireland.
Passenger accounts indicated that oxygen masks were deployed during the incident. British Airways later confirmed that the aircraft had experienced a technical problem.
Boeing 777 Returns Safely to Heathrow
After descending, the aircraft abandoned its journey to Chicago and turned back towards Britain.
Flight-tracking data showed the Boeing 777 spending several hours flying over parts of Britain and surrounding waters before returning to Heathrow, potentially to reduce its landing weight.
The aircraft eventually landed safely at Heathrow at around 5 pm local time. Passengers were able to leave the aircraft normally, and no injuries were reported.
British Airways said affected travellers were being assisted with alternative travel arrangements.
Pressurisation Issue Reported During BA295 Flight
The emergency descent was linked to a reported cabin pressurisation issue, which can require pilots to quickly bring an aircraft to a lower altitude where passengers and crew can breathe safely without supplemental oxygen.
The incident occurred only days after a separate flydubai cockpit emergency, although there is no indication of any connection between the two events.
Further technical examination of the British Airways aircraft is expected to determine precisely what caused the pressurisation problem.
