In the last 30 minutes, Delta Air Lines flight DL17, originally bound for Detroit, has declared an emergency and has returned back to London.
Information is limited surrounding the incident.
Below is what we know on this so far…
Delta Air Lines Flight DL17 London-Detroit…
Delta Air Lines flight DL17, which declared the emergency, is a routine scheduled flight between London Heathrow and Detroit.
Furthermore, the aircraft involved in the incident was N854NW.
As per data from Planespotters.net, N854NW is a 20.8 year old Airbus A330-200 that started out life with Northwest Airlines back in September 2004.
Following the merger with DL in October 2008, the aircraft was handed over to the Atlanta-based carrier.
Of the A330-200 variant, Delta Air Lines has 11 of them in their expansive fleet.
Moreover, of the 11, all but one are in active service, with an average fleet age of 20.2 years.
Delta Air Lines flight DL17, which declared the emergency, departed London Heathrow at 1139 local time today, bound for Detroit.
However, over the Nottingham area, the Airbus A330 made a u-turn back towards Heathrow.
During the u-turn, the crew declared a general emergency via the 7700 squawk code.
At the time of publication (1245 UK time), the aircraft is still in the air and was about to land into London.
Reason for the Emergency Is Not Known…
At this stage, the reason for the emergency onboard Delta Air Lines flight DL17 London-Detroit is currently unclear.
What is clear is that the squawk code change and subsequent u-turn would indicate something significant happening onboard.
The 7700 squawk code is varied, and could account for different emergencies such as:
- A medical emergency onboard involving a passenger or crew.
- Something technical with the aircraft.
- Something mechanical with the aircraft.
As soon as we have more information pertinent to the cause, then we will update you accordingly.
This is a developing story – more to follow in due course.
Updates…
UPDATE #1 @ 1251 UK time – TOUCHDOWN!
Delta Air Lines flight DL17, originally bound for Detroit, has completed it’s emergency landing into London Heathrow via Runway 27R.
As per @FlightEmergency, the cause is understood to be a Cracked Windscreen.
We will update you when we have more information.
