A passenger aboard a British Airways flight from London to Chicago has described the moment the aircraft dropped 27,000ft "completely without warning" after a technical issue forced an emergency return to Heathrow on October 5.
Scott Tanner, 39, from Torbay, Devon, was on flight BA295 when it began descending "noticeably" and oxygen masks deployed throughout the cabin. The plane had reached a cruising altitude of 37,000ft after taking off from Heathrow's Terminal 5 at 11:50am, with an expected flight time of eight hours and 40 minutes before landing at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft dropped sharply to 9,000ft. Tanner said there was "silence" for 10 minutes before passengers were told they could remove their masks. The plane eventually landed safely at Heathrow after about five hours in the air.
Passenger describes cabin silence
Tanner told Talk to the Press: "About an hour into the flight I was listening to an audiobook when, completely without warning, the oxygen masks suddenly dropped throughout the cabin."
An automated announcement instructed everyone to put on their masks immediately. For around 10 minutes afterwards there was no further information from the flight deck.
"There was simply silence apart from the automated announcement repeating on a loop, which was probably the most disconcerting part. Despite this, everyone remained remarkably calm. I did not hear a single scream," Tanner said.
"We could feel the aircraft descending quite noticeably, although it felt controlled rather than like a plunge. The captain then told us that we were below 10,000 feet and could remove our masks."
Emergency signal and passenger reaction
The flight crew issued a squawk 7700 code - the international aviation signal for a general emergency - shortly after beginning the steep descent.
Passenger Tom Nicholls told the Mirror there was a "sudden bit of turbulence" during the emergency. Mr Nicholls explained: "The plane adjusted but it didn't feel like it was descending rapidly. I'd say the pilots did a very good job."
"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."
Compensation concerns and BA response
Tanner said British Airways provided passengers with hotel accommodation, but further arrangements were "frustrating". He said: "I was initially rebooked via Charlotte despite direct flights being available, and I had to negotiate to have this changed."
"When I asked whether BA might offer some gesture in recognition of what had happened, I was repeatedly sent between different desks and eventually told that any compensation would have to be dealt with online."
A spokesperson from British Airways said: "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."
