British Airways flight BA295 declared an emergency and returned to London Heathrow after experiencing a sudden and severe descent over Ireland. The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200ER bound for Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, had departed from Heathrow earlier in the day and reached its cruising altitude of 37,000 feet approximately one hour into the journey.
The pilots initiated a rapid descent to below 10,000 feet and transmitted a 7700 emergency squawk—the international general emergency code—to air traffic control. Oxygen masks deployed from the ceiling during the incident, which followed a period of turbulence. The aircraft subsequently reversed course and returned toward England, executing a looping holding pattern over the Bristol Channel between Pembrokeshire and North Devon to burn fuel and reduce weight prior to landing.
Passengers reported that the descent, while sudden, was not particularly uncomfortable. One traveler noted that the pilots handled the situation professionally and that oxygen masks were deployed after the steep descent began. The aircraft made a safe landing at Heathrow just after 5pm, and passengers disembarked normally.
British Airways attributed the emergency to a technical issue but declined to specify the precise cause at the time of reporting. Aviation experts noted that rapid descents to below 10,000 feet combined with emergency squawk codes are typically associated with cabin pressurization problems, though confirmation remained pending. The Boeing 777-200ER involved in the incident is among the airline’s older aircraft, having entered service approximately 30 years ago. Most affected passengers were rebooked on flights departing the following day.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI