Flight BA295 had reached a cruising altitude of 37,000ft on its way from London to Chicago before the mid-air emergency
The oxygen masks deployed on the British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Chicago on October 5, 2026(Image: SWNS)
A passenger aboard a London to Chicago British Airways flight says the cabin was “silent” as they dropped 27,000ft in minutes. A “technical issue” caused the aircraft to drop and declare an emergency, and return to London on October 5.
Scott Tanner, 39, was a passenger on the plane when it began descending “noticeably” and they were told to put on oxygen masks. Flight BA295 had reached a cruising altitude of 37,000ft after taking off from Heathrow before the mid-air emergency.
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft dropped sharply down to 9,000ft. Scott said their was “silence” for 10 minutes before they were told they could remove their masks, and retuned to London after five hours in the air.
Scott, from Torbay, Devon, told Talk to the Press: “About an hour into the flight I was listening to an audiobook when, completely without warning, the oxygen masks suddenly dropped throughout the cabin.
“An automated announcement instructed everyone to put on their masks immediately. For around 10 minutes afterwards there was no further information from the flight deck.
“There was simply silence apart from the automated announcement repeating on a loop, which was probably the most disconcerting part. Despite this, everyone remained remarkably calm. I did not hear a single scream.
“We could feel the aircraft descending quite noticeably, although it felt controlled rather than like a plunge. The captain then told us that we were below 10,000 feet and could remove our masks.
“He later explained that we would be returning to Heathrow, but because the aircraft was carrying fuel for the transatlantic journey we would need to circle for several hours to burn it off. We eventually landed safely after about five hours in the air.”
Scott says British Airways provided passengers with hotel accommodation, but further arrangements were “frustrating”. He said: “I was initially rebooked via Charlotte despite direct flights being available, and I had to negotiate to have this changed.
“When I asked whether BA might offer some gesture in recognition of what had happened, I was repeatedly sent between different desks and eventually told that any compensation would have to be dealt with online.”
The plane left London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 at 11:50am, with an expected flight time of eight hours and 40 minutes before landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The flight crew issued a squawk 7700 code – the international aviation signal for a general emergency – shortly after beginning the steep descent.
Passenger Tom Nicholls told the Mirror there was a “sudden bit of turbulence” during the emergency. Mr Nicholls explained: “The plane adjusted but it didn’t feel like it was descending rapidly. I’d say the pilots did a very good job.
“The oxygen masks popped out soon after and there was a bit of uncertainty onboard. The couple in front couldn’t get to theirs but by the time they’d found a spare seat with a mask, the captain announced we were below 10,000ft so they were not needed.”
A spokesperson from British Airways said: “The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and the aircraft landed safely after our highly-trained pilots returned to Heathrow following a technical issue.
“Customers disembarked the aircraft normally and our teams are working to get their travel plans back on track as quickly as possible.”