Air France flight to Cayenne turns back to Paris after emergency squawk
An Air France Boeing 777-200ER bound for French Guiana returned to Paris Charles de Gaulle after the crew declared a mid-air emergency about 90 minutes into the flight. The airline has not confirmed what prompted the turn-around.
An Air France long-haul flight bound for French Guiana turned back over the Atlantic on Saturday after the crew declared an emergency and returned to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Flight AF836 departed Terminal 2E at CDG at 10:25 CEST, bound for Cayenne Félix Eboué Airport. About 90 minutes in, after climbing to a cruising altitude of 33,000 feet, the crew abandoned the crossing and reversed course.
The aircraft was a Boeing 777-200ER, registration F-GSPL, described by the source as 26 years old. After the turn, the crew transmitted the general emergency code, squawk 7700, on the transponder. That alert directs air traffic control to give the flight priority routing, direct vectors and clearance to land.
Returns over the Atlantic on long-haul routes commonly involve fuel dumping so the aircraft can descend below its maximum landing weight before touchdown. After a 7700 transmission, emergency ground services at Charles de Gaulle are routinely placed on standby for high-priority arrivals.
Air France has not yet confirmed the specific nature of the technical issue or medical emergency behind the turn-around.
Paris → Cayenne
Check flights on this routeTurbulence forecast for CDG–CAY →
Sources
- airlive.netAir France AF836 is declaring an emergency and returning to Paris