On Monday, a hair-raising incident occurred in mid-air with passengers flying from London's Heathrow International Airport to Chicago, USA. British Airways regular flight number BA295 (Boeing 777-200ER) took off from Heathrow after its scheduled departure and was entering Irish airspace to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft had gained speed at a normal cruising altitude of about 36,000 to 37,000 feet when suddenly a major technical fault occurred inside the aircraft. The pilots, sensing the seriousness of the situation, immediately transmitted the international emergency code 'Squawk 7700' and within minutes the aircraft was forced to make a rapid descent. Hundreds of passengers sitting inside the plane screamed and gasped as the plane descended from 37,000 feet to just 9,000 feet within just 7 minutes. From 37,000 to 9,000 feet: Why did such a rapid descent have to be done? According to radar data released by flight tracking portal 'Flightradar24' and aviation experts, it was not normal turbulence but a controlled emergency descent. About an hour after takeoff, when the aircraft was over Ireland, a sudden technical failure was recorded in the aircraft's cabin pressurization system. According to aviation standards, when the internal pressure of the aircraft starts decreasing at an altitude of more than 30,000 feet and the cabin altitude exceeds the safety limit of 10,000 feet, it becomes impossible for humans to breathe in the extremely thin air outside. In such a situation, to protect passengers from hypoxia (unconsciousness due to lack of oxygen), Boeing's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) requires pilots to immediately bring the plane down to 10,000 feet, where the natural pressure of oxygen in the atmosphere is sufficient for normal breathing. Following this safety rule, the pilots quickly lowered the plane to 9,000 feet. The plane took a U-turn and turned back towards Britain, forced to burn fuel in the air. After reaching a safe altitude of 9,000 feet in the air and controlling the situation, the pilots decided to immediately take the plane back to London Heathrow instead of flying across the Atlantic to Chicago. However, another major technical and security challenge stood in the way of return. Due to it being a long distance trans-Atlantic flight, the fuel tank of the aircraft was filled with hours of heavy fuel, due to which the weight of the aircraft was approximately 30 tonnes more than its safe landing limit (Maximum Landing Weight – MLW). Since this specific aircraft model did not have a fuel jettison system, pilots had to burn fuel while circling in a holding pattern over south-west Britain and the sea to achieve a safe landing weight. To speed up this process of weight loss, drag was increased by lowering the landing gear of the aircraft in the air so that fuel could be consumed faster. What is the latest situation now? Passenger safety and airline update According to the latest update, all the passengers and crew members on board the aircraft are completely safe and there are no reports of any casualties. Due to the intelligence and professional training of the pilots, a major potential aircraft accident was averted. The aircraft made a safe landing with emergency precautions at London Heathrow Airport after safely achieving the prescribed weight level. British Airways' ground team and medical staff were fully prepared on the runway to examine and assist passengers. The airline is making arrangements to accommodate passengers at nearby hotels and all Chicago-bound passengers are being rescheduled to the next available flights. British Airways' technical and safety team has grounded the Boeing 777 aircraft and begun a thorough forensic investigation of its pressurization valves and air conditioning packs.
