British Airways flight that declared a state of emergency over Ireland issues alert 7700 – What is it? Explained | Today’s news
A British Airways flight from London to Chicago declared an emergency on Monday after plummeting about 9,000 feet, according to online flight tracking website FlightRadar24. BA295 was shouting “7700” – the code used by pilots to declare a general emergency.
The plane, which departed Heathrow’s Terminal 5 at around 11.50am (local time), declared an emergency while flying over Ireland. It was scheduled to land in Chicago but was diverted back to London.
The Boeing 777-200ER aircraft was scheduled to take around 8 hours and 40 minutes to reach Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), PTI reported.
But about an hour after takeoff, Flightradar24 data reportedly showed the plane had reached its cruising altitude of 37,000 feet when it appeared to hit a problem. Then the 7700 started beeping.
Flight tracking data showed that the plane subsequently began a rapid descent, dropping 28,000 feet to an altitude of 9,000 feet within minutes.
The aircraft then flew south of Wales and over south-west England before making several turns over the English Channel as it headed back towards London.
The Boeing 737-8 was carrying 174 passengers, including children. The aircraft was eventually diverted to Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The plane’s circling over Europe could potentially be related to fuel management.
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
The 7700 squawk code is a general distress signal used by pilots to notify air traffic control that their aircraft is experiencing an emergency without specifying the nature of the problem.
Flight BA295 from London to Chicago declared an emergency after a sudden descent of approximately 28,000 feet while flying over Ireland and eventually returned to London Heathrow.
Pilots use distress code 7700 to signal that their aircraft requires immediate assistance from air traffic control, allowing coordinators to prioritize their response.
Yes, all pilots are required to undergo extensive emergency training to ensure they are able to effectively deal with various issues such as technical malfunctions or medical emergencies.
The rapid descent could be the result of several situations, including cabin depressurization, technical problems or medical emergencies, but the specific cause of BA295’s descent remains unknown.
A squawk is a four-digit code transmitted by an aircraft’s transponder to air traffic control. Code 7700 is used when a flight is facing a general emergency and needs assistance.
Once the crew selects 7700, the distress code will be visible to air traffic controllers on their radar systems. This alerts them that the aircraft may need priority treatment, free routing or other support.
However, the 7700 does not tell the controllers what went wrong. An emergency may be related to a health problem, technical problem, bad weather, or other situation requiring immediate assistance. Controllers would then contact the crew to understand the problem and determine what assistance is needed.
Read also | British Airways emergency flight over Ireland: What we know so far
FlyDubai attack
The British Airways incident took place days after the FlyDubai stabbing incident.
On September 30, flight FZ1073 experienced a mid-air crisis. The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was reportedly the subject of an alleged terror attack by the co-pilot, who was described as someone with radical views.
Read also | British Airways flight declares state of emergency over Ireland after descent: Report
The Omani co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar in the cockpit. Machchhar, from India, was stabbed with an axe, allegedly by the co-pilot, who was later identified as Hamam al-Hammami.
al-Hammami is said to have made the move in an alleged attempt to crash a commercial flight carrying more than 170 passengers.
Despite serious injuries, Captain Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing the passengers and off-duty crew to enter and subdue the attacker.
