A flight from London to Chicago declared an emergency after a sudden steep descent of 28,000 feet over Ireland and was forced to return to Britain. British Airways flight BA295 was headed to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, but after a “technical issue” during which oxygen masks were deployed from the ceiling, the plane landed safely at London Heathrow. The plane, a Boeing 777-200ER, had left Heathrow at 12:14 on Monday for its scheduled flight. transatlantic flight, and an hour into the trip he had ascended to his cruising altitude of 37,000 feet. According to passengers, the plane encountered turbulence moments before their masks were removed, causing “uncertainty” among those on board. The pilots descended to less than 10,000 feet and issued an emergency squawk 7700 to air traffic control (the international general emergency code) and made a U-turn to return to England. Flight tracking services showed the plane flying in a loop holding pattern over the Bristol Channel between Pembrokeshire and North Devon as the plane burned fuel to reduce its weight, allowing pilots to make a normal landing shortly after 5pm. Passenger Tom Nicholls said there had been “sudden turbulence” before the emergency was declared and that the rapid descent to 9,000 feet had not been too uncomfortable. He said: “The plane adjusted but it didn’t look like it was descending quickly. I would say the pilots did a very good job. “The oxygen masks came loose shortly afterwards and there was a bit of uncertainty on board. The couple in front couldn’t make it to theirs, but when they found a free seat with a mask on, the captain announced that we were below 10,000ft so they weren’t needed.” A BA spokesperson said: “The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and the plane landed safely after our highly trained pilots returned to Heathrow following a technical issue. “Customers disembarked from the aircraft as normal and our teams are working to get their travel plans back on track as soon as possible.” Photos taken by passengers and shared on social media showed oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling as the plane made the return journey. A rapid descent below 10,000 feet and a 7700 emergency screech are commonly associated with aircraft experiencing cabin depressurization, but BA has not yet confirmed the official cause of the emergency. The Boeing 777-200ER is one of BA’s oldest aircraft in service, having been delivered to the airline almost 30 years ago. ago, in July 1997. Live broadcasts showed the plane descending and landing safely at Heathrow. Many passengers have been booked for new flights leaving on Tuesday.
