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British Airways flight descends 28,000 feet
A London-to-Chicago flight returned safely after an emergency descent over Ireland and oxygen-mask deployment.
What happened
British Airways flight BA295, bound from Heathrow to Chicago on 5 October, declared a general emergency over Ireland after a technical issue. The Boeing 777-200ER descended from 37,000 feet to 9,000 feet, deployed oxygen masks and returned safely to Heathrow. Passengers disembarked normally.
Numbers
- 28,000 feetAltitude lost during the descent — From 37,000 to 9,000 feet
- 7700Emergency transponder code used — Signals a general emergency
- 8 hours 40 minutesScheduled London-to-Chicago journey time — Before the return
Questions
- What does code 7700 mean?
- It is the transponder code crews use to signal a general emergency to air-traffic control, allowing priority handling.
- Why did oxygen masks deploy?
- Oxygen masks deploy when cabin pressure falls, providing supplemental oxygen while an aircraft descends to an altitude with denser air.
- How were travellers rerouted?
- Passengers were due to continue to Chicago on a British Airways flight the following day after the return.
- Why did it circle before landing?
- Flight-tracking data showed a circuit above Bristol Channel to use fuel before landing, rather than making an immediate arrival.
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The catch
British Airways has not identified the specific technical fault, and reporting gives no official cause beyond that.
The aircraft landed safely.