A passenger flight destined for Manchester Airport was forced to divert on Sunday evening after pilots declared an emergency. The Aurigny Air Services flight from Guernsey to Manchester departed the Channel Island at 5:17 PM but turned around over Thatcham, Berkshire, and began circling near Southampton.
Emergency Declaration Details
The ATR 72 aircraft, which typically carries up to 72 passengers, was scheduled to land at Manchester Airport's Terminal 2 at 6:40 PM. According to Flight Radar 24, the aircraft began squawking 7700, the universal aviation transponder code used to declare a general emergency to air traffic control. When an aircraft squawks 7700, it is instantly highlighted on radar screens worldwide, receiving immediate priority over all other traffic and alerting emergency services at the nearest airport.
Possible Causes and Landing
Common reasons for squawking 7700 include technical failures and medical emergencies. Flight radar data shows the plane landed at Southampton Airport around 6:10 PM. The Liverpool ECHO has contacted Aurigny Air Services for comment.
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