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BA Flight to Chicago drops 27,000 feet, returns to London

BA Flight to Chicago drops 27,000 feet, returns to London
NBC News Monday 05 October 2026, 16:09 UTC By Alexander Smith 1 min read
Key Points

LONDON — A British Airways passenger jet declared an emergency and descended 27,000 feet while flying from London to Chicago on Monday. About 30 minutes into its journey, the Boeing 777 dropped from 36,000 feet to 9,000 feet in around seven minutes, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. The plane turned around over Ireland before zig-zagging over the Bristol Channel for the next four hours, finally landing back at London’s Heathrow Airport at 5 p.m. local time (noon ET).

LONDON — A British Airways passenger jet declared an emergency and descended 27,000 feet while flying from London to Chicago on Monday. About 30 minutes into its journey, the Boeing 777 dropped from 36,000 feet to 9,000 feet in around seven minutes, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. The plane turned around over Ireland before zig-zagging over the Bristol Channel for the next four hours, finally landing back at London’s Heathrow Airport at 5 p.m. local time (noon ET). British Airways did not immediately respond to requests for more information about the jet’s turnaround. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. [Image text:] .000 BRITISH AIRWAYS
BA Flight (ORG) Chicago (LOCATION) London LONDON (LOCATION) British Airways (ORG) London (LOCATION) Boeing (ORG) FlightAware (ORG) Ireland (LOCATION) the Bristol Channel (ORG) Heathrow Airport (LOCATION)
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