United Airlines flight UA169 was forced to make an emergency landing at Heathrow after suffering a mid-flight technical issue. The Boeing 767 jet, bound for Newark in New Jersey, left Venice Marco Polo Airport at 11:21 local time on Monday. But just a few hours into its nine-hour transatlantic trip, it was forced to prepare for an emergency landing.
Emergency descent and fuel dumping
After flying across Austria, Germany, and Belgium without a hiccup, crew were forced to sound the squawk 7700 code in British airspace. The alert is an international code for a general emergency involving a technical fault, understood to be a mechanical issue. The jet, which was carrying 216 passengers, descended from a height of 30,000 feet to 17,000 and entered a holding pattern to jettison excess fuel.
Emergency fuel dumping is standard protocol for aircraft facing a premature landing and ensures that the jet does not have to prepare for an overweight landing. Most of the fuel turns to gas before it ever touches the ground.
Safe landing and rebooking
The flight was then able to land at London Heathrow Terminal 2, just over two and a half hours after leaving Venice. Details surrounding the technical issue have not been revealed by United Airlines, nor have rescheduling plans for the flight. In a statement, United Airlines said: “United flight 169 from Venice to Newark diverted to London Heathrow to address a mechanical issue. The aircraft landed safely, and we are working to rebook customers on the next available flight to EWR.”
