A British Airways flight bound for Chicago was forced to turn back to London after plunging nearly 28,000 feet over Ireland and triggering an emergency response. Flight BA295 departed Heathrow Airport shortly after noon Monday and climbed to 37,000 feet before encountering a technical problem about an hour into the transatlantic journey. Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling as the Boeing 777-200ER descended to around 9,000 feet. The crew also issued a 7700 emergency squawk, the international signal for a general emergency, before turning the aircraft back toward Britain. Passenger Tom Nicholls told the Mirror there was “a sudden bit of turbulence” before the masks deployed, causing confusion among travelers. He also praised the pilots’ handling of the emergency. The aircraft later circled over the Bristol Channel to burn fuel before landing safely at Heathrow shortly after 5 p.m. British Airways said the plane returned because of a “technical issue” and that passengers were being moved onto alternative flights. The precise cause of the emergency has not been confirmed.
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