A United Airlines flight declared an emergency shortly after departing from London Heathrow on Thursday, forcing the aircraft to return to the airport for an expedited landing.
Flight UA941 took off from the UK's busiest airport just after 4pm, bound for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, US. However, the eight-hour journey was cut short just minutes into the flight.
Emergency signal over Manchester
The Boeing 767 jet declared an emergency while flying at 32,000 feet over Manchester, transmitting squawk code 7700 - the international code for a general emergency. According to aviation outlet Air Live, “a technical issue” was cited as the reason for the emergency signal.
The aircraft was initially set to dump around 20 tonnes of fuel to lower its landing weight, but this decision was reportedly abandoned and the plane returned to Heathrow.
Safely back on the ground
Flight data tracked by Flight Radar showed the aircraft looping around Manchester and back down into the capital, cutting its flight to the States short. The aircraft landed safely at 6pm and was met by emergency services and ground crew.
The Standard has contacted United Airlines for further information.
