United Airlines flight forced into sudden diversion back to London after mid-flight emergency

A United Airlines flight quickly landed back in London after declaring an emergency “technical issue” mid-flight

Flight UA147 from London Heathrow to Newark, New York, turned around after issuing a squawk code just minutes after take-off on Wednesday (26 March).

A squawk code 7770 is used on flights to indicate an emergency.

According to AviationSource, the Boeing 767-300 aircraft made a U-turn in UK airspace not long after departing London, circling to burn fuel before landing back at Heathrow.

The airline confirmed on its flight status page that the more than two-hour delay was because “we are addressing a technical issue on your plane”.

United added to passengers: “Your safety is our priority and we’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

The Newark-bound flight reportedly touched back down due to an engine failure, said Flight Emergency, with 70 passengers and 11 crew onboard.

United Airlines said in a statement: “United flight 147 returned to London Heathrow airport to address a potential mechanical issue. The flight landed safely and was subsequently cancelled.

“Customers were rebooked onto the next available flight to Newark, which has since departed.”

It’s not the first flight forced to make an emergency landing due to technical issues this year.

In February, a Delta plane was forced to make an emergency landing after passengers observed a “haze” inside the aircraft.

Delta flight DL876 from Atlanta, Georgia, to Columbia, South Carolina, experienced an unexplained smoky haze inside the Boeing 717 aircraft shortly after the plane took off.

A Delta spokesperson said: “The flight crew followed procedures to return to Atlanta when a haze inside the aircraft was observed after departure. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and we apologize to our customers for the experience."

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