Police surround plane after Heathrow emergency landing
United Airlines flight UA949 left Heathrow at 12.45pm before turning around and making an emergency landing.
The crew declared an emergency on board the flight as it headed to San Francisco and made a U-turn.
The decision was made to turn back after fumes began filling the plane’s galley, which is the area in front of the cockpit.
The plane turned around after takeoff (Picture: Flightradar)
The crew declared an emergency (Picture: BigJetTv)
The Boeing 777-200ER had climbed 15,000 feet and was above Milton Keynes before turning around.
Police vans and fire engines were scrambled to the runway and met the plane after arrival.
Passengers eventually got off the plane as normal at a gate after landing.
Jerry Dyer from Big Jet TV, who was filming at Heathrow when the plane returned back to the airport, told Metro that there was no smoke when the plane landed ‘safely.’
Unverified claims emerged online saying that smoke was coming out of the plane. London Fire Brigade told Metro it did attend the incident, but no direct action was required.
Jerry said the plane had used a general emergency code, which could be anything from ‘minor technical issues to a problem with passengers like a health issue.’
Jerry praised the emergency services, the plane crew and Heathrow for their response, saying the fire engines and ambulances were already on the tarmac as a precaution.
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It is common for planes to use the general emergency code and make a landing, but this does not necessarily suggest a major emergency.
United Airlines told Metro: ‘United flight 949 from London Heathrow to San Francisco returned to London shortly after takeoff to address fumes in the aircraft’s galley.
‘The flight landed safely, passengers deplaned normally at the gate, and we’re working to get our customers to their destinations as soon as possible.’
A spokesperson from Heathrow Airport told Metro that the plane ‘landed safely and had no wider impact on operations.’
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