As flight from London to declared an emergency on Monday after plunging around 28,000 feet, according to online flight-tracking website FlightRadar24. The aircraft, BA295, was ‘squawking 7700’ – a code used by pilots to declare a general emergency.
The aircraft, which had departed Heathrow’s Terminal 5 at around 11.50 am (local time), declared an emergency while flying over Ireland. It was scheduled to land in Chicago, according to an India Today report.
According to UK media reports citing flight-tracking data, British Airways flight BA295 was later seen turning back towards London Heathrow, indicating that the flight to Chicago had been abandoned.
A squawk is a four-digit code transmitted by an aircraft’s transponder to air traffic control. The code 7700 is used when a flight is facing a general emergency and needs assistance.
Once the crew selects 7700, the emergency code becomes visible to air traffic controllers on their radar systems. This alerts them that the aircraft may need priority treatment, a clear route, or other support.
However, 7700 does not tell controllers what has gone wrong. The emergency could be linked to a medical issue, technical problem, bad weather or another situation requiring immediate assistance. Controllers would then contact the crew to understand the problem and determine what help is required.
The flight was a Boeing 777-200ER, registered as G-VIIA. It took off from London’s Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 at about 11.50 am local time. The flight was on its way to Chicago and was expected to reach the destination in eight hours and 40 minutes.
The British Airways incident took place days after the FlyDubai stabbing case.
On September 30, flight FZ1073 experienced a mid-air crisis. Reportedly, the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was subject to an alleged terror attempt by a co-pilot who was described as someone with radical views.
The Omani co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar in the cockpit. Machchhar, from India, was stabbed with an axe, reportedly by the co-pilot, who was later identified as Hamam al-Hammami.
It is said that al-Hammami made the move in an alleged attempt to crash the commercial flight, which was carrying more than 170 passengers.
Despite suffering serious injuries, Captain Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and off-duty crew members to enter and subdue the attacker.
