A British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Chicago plunged 28,000ft in a mid-air emergency, deploying oxygen masks in the cabin before returning safely to Heathrow.
Emergency declared over Ireland
BA flight BA295 departed Heathrow's Terminal 5 at 11:50am on Monday, with an anticipated journey time of eight hours and 40 minutes before touching down at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. However, a mid-air emergency was declared following a steep descent over Ireland, during which oxygen masks were released for both passengers and crew.
The aircraft had reached a cruising altitude of 37,000ft when the crew issued the mid-air emergency. Flight-tracking data revealed the aircraft dropped sharply from its cruising height down to approximately 9,000ft.
Rapid descent and fuel dumping
Shortly after beginning the rapid descent, the flight crew transmitted a squawk 7700 code - the internationally recognised aviation signal for a general emergency. According to AirLive.net, the standard procedure for controlled rapid descents to lower altitudes, typically below 10,000 feet, often points to a cabin depressurisation event.
The aircraft subsequently burned off fuel by circling back and forth across the Bristol Channel several times, flying low above Pembroke, Milford Haven, and St Davids in Pembrokeshire. This procedure is a standard safety measure used to ensure the plane does not exceed its maximum landing weight, which prevents extreme physical stress on the landing gear, wings, and fuselage.
Passenger accounts and airline response
Passenger Tom Nicholls told The Mirror there was a "sudden bit of turbulence" during the incident. Nicholls said: "The plane adjusted but it didn't feel like it was descending rapidly. I'd say the pilots did a very good job."
He added: "The oxygen masks popped out soon after and there was a bit of uncertainty onboard. The couple in front couldn't get to theirs but by the time they'd found a spare seat with a mask, the captain announced we were below 10,000ft so they were not needed."
Nicholls continued to commend British Airways, saying the carrier managed the situation "pretty well". He stated: "We were all booked onto different flights tomorrow."
British Airways said in a statement: "The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and the aircraft landed safely after our highly-trained pilots returned to Heathrow following a technical issue. Customers disembarked the aircraft normally and our teams are working to get their travel plans back on track as quickly as possible."
Around 26,000 individuals monitored the unfolding situation on the website flightradar24 as the aircraft flew back and forth between the north coast of Devon and west Wales.
The aircraft was able to return to London Heathrow at around 5pm - almost five hours after it had originally taken off. British Airways confirmed the pilot diverted the plane back due to a "technical issue".
The incident occurs merely days after another British Airways flight travelling from Cyprus to London declared an emergency due to a medical incident before being redirected to Luxembourg. Flight BA711 left Larnaca International Airport shortly before 5am UK time last Sunday. The aircraft touched down safely at Luxembourg Airport at approximately 9am UK time and took off nearly two hours afterwards to resume its journey. It reached London Heathrow, where it arrived at 12:51 UK time - over two and a half hours behind schedule.
