The Boeing 777-300ER, which was bound for Toronto, declared the emergency just after take-off and flew back to Heathrow – it is not yet clear what the problem was with the flight
Passengers on an Air Canada flight were forced to return to London Heathrow after an emergency was declared. The emergency was triggered shortly after take-off on the Toronto-bound plane on Saturday morning. Flight AC853, a Boeing 777-300ER, left Heathrow at 8.34am before making a U-turn.
The aircraft had reached a cruising altitude of 34,000ft and was flying over the Atlantic when the pilots decided to turn the plane around, as per flight tracking data.
A 7700 emergency code was transmitted from the plane at 9.30am, almost an hour after departure, and it remains unclear what prompted the issue with the flight, reports AirLive.
The plane touched down back at Heathrow at 10.02am on runway 27L, with passengers being escorted back to the terminal once the plane had taxied to the gate. Landings on the runway were temporarily halted, reports the Mirror.
The airline organised a replacement flight later that same morning, while both the airline and airport authorities are set to review the situation.
When a pilot inputs the four-digit emergency code 7700 into their transponder, it immediately signals to air traffic control that the aircraft is in distress and needs priority handling. The exact nature of the incident remains uncertain as this code serves as a “catch-all” for any emergency situation that isn’t a hijacking (7500) or radio failure (7600).
When a plane does emit a 7700 code, a special procedure is initiated at the airport where it’s due to land, which includes having emergency services on standby.
The Boeing 777-300ER is a staple in the Air Canada fleet.
The Mirror has reached out to Air Canada for a statement.
Just last month, a Ryanair flight en route from the UK to Portugal declared an emergency mid-flight shortly after take-off. Flight FR5552 departed London Stansted airport at 6.21am on 12 April, bound for Faro, but was forced to turn back not long after crossing over northern France.
Instead of returning to the bustling airspace of London Stansted, the flight crew opted to divert to Bournemouth Airport. Roughly 45 minutes into the journey, a 7700 emergency was declared, prompting a swift descent.
The Ryanair aircraft could be seen on radar making a sharp turn and losing altitude as it made its way towards the English coast and Bournemouth Airport.
It touched down safely in Bournemouth just over an hour after taking off. According to AirLive, there was a medical issue on board.