A British Airways flight from London to Chicago declared an emergency over Ireland on Monday after making a rapid descent of about 28,000 feet, according to flight-tracking data.
Flight BA295, operating from London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare, had climbed to around 37,000 feet before descending to approximately 9,000 feet while crossing Irish airspace. The aircraft subsequently turned back towards London, abandoning its scheduled transatlantic journey.
The Boeing 777-200ER departed Heathrow’s Terminal 5 at about 11:50 a.m. local time. Roughly an hour into the flight, the aircraft began its rapid descent and transmitted the internationally recognised 7700 transponder code, which alerts air traffic controllers that an aircraft is experiencing a general emergency.
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The aircraft stabilised at around 9,000 feet and was shown turning back towards the United Kingdom. Later tracking indicated that the flight was returning to Heathrow rather than continuing towards Chicago.
The reason for the emergency has not been disclosed.
The 7700 code does not identify the nature of an incident. It is a general emergency signal that allows air traffic controllers to give the aircraft priority and provide assistance. Flight-tracking data can establish the aircraft’s altitude and route but cannot determine what happened on board.
There was no immediate confirmation that the descent was caused by a loss of cabin pressure, technical malfunction, medical emergency or another operational problem. Aviation reports have noted that emergency descents can be associated with a range of circumstances, but no specific cause has been established for BA295.
British Airways had not immediately provided details about the incident or confirmed the reason for the aircraft’s return.
The incident comes only days after the widely reported Flydubai FZ1073 cockpit incident, in which a flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia after an altercation in the cockpit. That aircraft also transmitted emergency signals during the incident.
The two events are not known to be connected. In the British Airways case, authorities and the airline have not indicated that the emergency involved a security incident.
For passengers aboard BA295, the immediate priority was the aircraft’s safe return to the United Kingdom. The aircraft’s decision to descend rapidly to a lower altitude and turn back allowed the crew to operate within emergency procedures while the cause of the problem remained unclear.
Further details are expected from British Airways and aviation authorities as they establish what prompted the emergency declaration and the sharp descent over Ireland.
