British Airways 777 bound for Chicago returns to Heathrow after steep descent

A British Airways flight heading to Chicago descended roughly 27,000 feet in a short period on Monday and returned to London, according to the airline and passenger accounts. The Boeing 777-200ER went from 36,000 feet down to 9,000 feet in about ten minutes while it was over Ireland.

British Airways described the turnback as the result of a technical issue and said its pilots brought the aircraft back to Heathrow. The carrier said passenger and crew welfare comes first, that everyone left the aircraft in the normal way, and that staff were arranging replacement travel. No one on board was hurt, the airline said.

Passengers who spoke to media outlets described turbulence during the flight and said oxygen masks dropped. The descent was obvious but not distressing, they said.

The crew declared an emergency after the aircraft passed below 10,000 feet and set course back toward Heathrow. Flight tracking data showed the jet circling over the Bristol Channel and southwest England, which is consistent with burning fuel to shed weight, before it touched down in London after about five hours in the air.

A number of passengers were booked onto flights leaving the following day.