British Airways flight BA295 from London to Chicago declared an emergency as it dropped a total of 28,000 feet, after which it returned to the original airport it took off from. It was initially 9,000 feet above Ireland as per flight tracker data. It has transmitted the aviation emergency code 7700. Aircraft crews use this code to alert air traffic controllers regarding a general emergency that requires their urgent aid. It then took a U-turn while cruising over Ireland's airspace.
The flight was a Boeing 777-200ER, registered as G-VIIA. It took flight from London's Heathrow airport from Terminal 5 at about 11:50 a.m. in local time, and was headed for Chicago. The duration of the flight was expected to be eight hours and 40 minutes.
According to the flight-tracking data the plane was diverted back to London. It then made multiple circular motions inside the airspace between Wales and Ireland. This was likely to consume jet fuel in order to reduce the weight of the aircraft, so it's closer to the required landing weight.
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It then flew towards Heathrow airport where it commenced preparations to land. The plane gradually descended and made a landing in the aforementioned airport close to five hours after it took off.
This development comes after FlyDubai flight FZ1073 bound for Israel from Dubai lost about 16,000 feet (4,877 metres) in roughly 30 seconds during its most dramatic descent before being levelled out. The emergency was linked to a violent confrontation inside the cockpit involving the captain and the co-pilot.
The co-pilot of the FlyDubai jet, which was bound for Israel from Dubai, attacked the pilot with an emergency crash axe, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said on Saturday, calling the incident a "terrorist attack".
ALSO READ: FlyDubai Flight Scare: Co-Pilot Attack, 16,000-Foot Plunge And Emergency Landing
It was as operating from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, on Sept. 30. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members.
Reuters reported that passengers and crew managed to subdue the co-pilot after the cockpit confrontation. A reserve FlyDubai pilot who was travelling on the plane then took control of the aircraft. The plane was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
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