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

Oct. 5, 2026, 4:09 PM UTCUnited KingdomAbout 30 minutes into its journey, the aircraft dropped from 36,000 feet to 9,000 feet in around seven minutes, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.A British Airways Boeing 777 similar to the one used for the Chicago flight. John Keeble / GettyLONDON — 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 to the west of England for the next four hours. It finally landed back at London’s Heathrow Airport at 5 p.m. local time (noon ET), almost five hours after its 12:15 p.m. take off.British Airways and Heathrow did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Passengers will likely be put up in hotels by the airline until another flight can arranged, as stipulated by the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.