Boeing 777 En Route to Chicago Makes U-Turn After Rapid Descent Suspected Cabin Depressurization
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Mid-Air Scare: London-Chicago British Airways BA295 Drops 28,000 Feet, Declares Emergency Over Ireland British Airways Flight BA295 Squawks 7700, Plunges From 37,000 ft to 9,000 ft, Returns to Heathrow Boeing 777 En Route to Chicago Makes U-Turn After Rapid Descent Suspected Cabin Depressurizatio
London, Oct 5, 2026: A British Airways transatlantic flight from London to Chicago triggered a mid-air emergency on Monday after suddenly descending 28,000 feet within minutes while over Ireland.
Flight BA295, a Boeing 777-200ER (registration G-VIIA), took off from London Heathrow Terminal 5 at 11:50 AM local time for its scheduled 8 hr 40 min flight to Chicago O'Hare (ORD). About an hour after take-off, after reaching its cruising altitude of 37,000 feet, the aircraft encountered an "unexpected operational issue".
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft initiating a rapid descent to 9,000 feet a drop of about 28,000 feet and the crew squawking 7700, the international transponder code for a general emergency.
"BA295 from London to Chicago squawking 7700 and descended down to 9000 feet above Ireland," Flightradar24 posted.
As per standard protocol, a controlled rapid descent to below 10,000 feet often indicates a cabin depressurization, environmental control issue or airframe technical fault, though British Airways has not yet confirmed the cause.
The aircraft, which was over central Ireland, did not divert to Shannon or Dublin. Instead, it made a U-turn and returned to London Heathrow, cancelling its onward journey to the US. It is currently being inspected.
No injuries have been reported so far. A statement from the airline is awaited.This is the second mid-air scare reported this week, adding to growing scrutiny of long-haul Boeing 777 operations.
