An easyJet flight declared a mid-air emergency after a bird strike that prevented the crew and passengers from landing at their intended destination. Flight EZY415 left Glasgow Airport at 8.25am on Sunday, October 18, bound for Southampton Airport.
Emergency declared 25 minutes into flight
The flight was scheduled to land an hour later, at 9.25am, but was instead forced to divert to John Lennon Airport in Liverpool after declaring an emergency 25 minutes into the flight. The Airbus A319 was travelling southward at around 24,000ft over Lancashire when it issued a squawk code 7700, according to data from flight tracking app FlightRadar24.
Squawk alerts are four-digit codes used by pilots and air traffic control to communicate during flights. A squawk code 7700 indicates an emergency that can be of a mechanical or technical nature, but can also be issued to alert to medical issues on board.
Safe landing in Liverpool
After circling above the skies in Liverpool, the easyJet plane safely landed at 9.14am.
