London: A British Airways flight bound for Chicago from London declared an emergency over Ireland on Monday after a steep descent of nearly 28,000 feet.
It turned back for Heathrow after the emergency. The airline has not issued any statement on the matter as yet. The cause behind the sudden descent is also not known.
According to local media, the transatlantic flight BA295, being operated by a 30-year-old Boeing 777-200ER registered as G-VIIA, took off from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 at 11:50 am (local time) for its scheduled 8-hour and 40-minute flight to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
Nearly after an hour after departure, the aircraft experienced an unexpected operational issue. After climbing to a cruising altitude of 37,000 feet, the long-haul twin-jet initiated a rapid descent, dropping 28,000 feet to an altitude of 9,000 feet within minutes, air traffic tracking data indicates.
Shortly after beginning the steep descent, the flight crew issued a squawk 7700 code, the international aviation signal for a general emergency.
The standard protocol for controlled rapid descents to lower altitudes (typically below 10,000 feet) often indicates a cabin depressurization event.
The Boeing 777 crew coordinated with air traffic control, The pilots evaluated options to either make an emergency diversion, potentially to Shannon Airport or Dublin Airport, before turning towards Heathrow.
(This is a developing story and will be updated)