British Airways flight BA295 from London to Chicago declared an emergency over Ireland and diverted to London, according to flight tracking data.
The Boeing 777 was squawking 7700, the code used to signal a general emergency. It descended to around 9,000 feet while over Ireland, the flight tracker showed. The plane landed at London's Heathrow Airport four hours and 47 minutes after takeoff. NDTV reported.
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.
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".
