BAW48 Squawk 7700??

[jbsharpe]

I have the FlightRadar24 iPhone app, and it's just popped up a message saying BAW48 has squawked 7700 (General Emergency)..

Is this a relatively common occurrence? ie caused by something like cabin depressurization?

Apologies for the ignorace..

[radar0976]

Can track it online here : Flightradar24.com - Live Flight Tracker! (http://www.flightradar24.com/BAW48)

[katie2931]

I just received the same alert as it flew over where I live... the plane is highlighted in red.. wonder if it diverts to man??

[RJC]

Well it's stayed at 37,000 feet, steady track and speed without diverting so it doesn't look technical if it is actually Squawking 7700.

That code is used to signify an emergency which endangers the aircraft and/or those aboard. Perhaps they have a medical emergency on-board, even though they haven't (yet) diverted from LHR.

[jbsharpe]

I thought possibly a fuel emergency but as mentioned it hasn't diverted. Descending now but looks like standard descent into the London area.

[ronstv]

more than likely a medical emergency

[Suzeman]

Was a medical emergency

Suzeman

[katie2931]

How do you find these things out..?

[RJC]

How do you find these things out..?

For the most part, logic.

If an aircraft Squawks 7700 or calls a MayDay there is some serious trouble aboard. As the radar track (thanks to the tracking website earlier in the thread) showed a steady altitude, speed and direction the aircraft didn't divert from it's destination of LHR. That rules out a physical problem with the aircraft as they could have divereted elsewhere on their way down South. Looking at the track it did take, which was a direct as it could be to getting on the ground at LHR, what else could it really be?

I suspect Suzeman is closer to the incident in some way to be able to confirm the medical emergency...

As the OP said, they had a pop-up from an iPhone app alerting to the initial Squawk.

[Phileas Fogg]

Call me old fashioned but I consider it to be sick, indeed disgusting, that a website attempts to gain profit, by retail advertising on said website, from other(s) being in distress.

[Dial_tone]

@jbshpare Yes this is very common. If you use it for few days, you will notice that there are usually few 7700s a day. Most of them can be googled some time after incident to find out reason for distress call. Vast majority usually falls under category of "abundance of precaution" rather than any real serious distress.
Just wait 30 mins - few hours and google "BAW48 emergency cause" to see it for yourself.

Declaring an emergency results in plane receiving absolute priority in handling by ATC ground controllers, where captain can land in airport and runway of its solemn decision, out of normal traffic queuing, procedures and arbitrary instructions from ATC. If necessary, all traffic will be moved by ATC out of the way of distressed plane to provide room to execute any flight path, procedure or landing of its choice and that's what usually lays behind captains decisions to declare an emergency (desire to receive such a priority handling).

Declaring an emergency does not automatically means plane is in immediate danger.

Some planes might declare an emergency solely due to some unexpected weather, where plane is forced to fly to unplanned third option airport, where captain concerned about fuel reserves simply wishes to avoid any unnecessary procedural or traffic maneuvering.

Technically, in such scenario, captain should declare PAN PAN call instead of MAYDAY (true meaning of squawk 7700), yet as they often are concerned it might be misinterpreted and there is no serious pressure from aviation authorities, MAYDAY are routinely used for situations simply requiring urgency or priority rather than signifying imminent danger.

By same token planes in dire technical difficulties, or literary falling out of the sky, routinely does not declare an emergency at all.

Polish airline Boeing 767 which eventually landed without landing gear in Warsaw lost hydraulic power soon after take off from New York. Despise potentially disastrous failure which crew was aware of immediately after take off, they flew entire Atlantic route using normal routing, queuing and instructions, without declaring emergency except shortly before very landing.

ATC is nothing more than a traffic cop without expertise of troubleshooting anything. It gets notified and involved only if priority traffic handling is (or potentially might be) needed and that's what declaring an emergency is all about.

It is really cool though to be notified of such incidents and be able to witness them live. In most cases it is even possible to follow entire crew - ATC radio communication as they make an emergency landing thank to things such as LiveATC.net. In case of Baw48, Heathrow is one of notable exceptions where UK law does not allow monitoring ATC communication.

[Skipness One Echo]

Squawking 7700 in no way means there is "serious trouble aboard". They are daily occurences, usually for maintenance issues requesting priority and sick passengers. A mayday is another matter and much less common.

[DaveReidUK]

They are daily occurences, usually for maintenance issues requesting priority and sick passengers.

And, of those, typically around 90% are passenger (or occasionally crew) medical emergencies.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<MAYDAY are routinely used for situations simply requiring urgency or priority rather than signifying imminent danger. >

I presume that you are not an aviation professional because Mayday should never be used routinely. Mayday DOES signify that the aircraft is in danger and requires immediate assistance.

<<ATC is nothing more than a traffic cop without expertise of troubleshooting anything.>>

Oh well, it's nice to know how we are viewed by non-aviation people!!

[Torque Tonight]

It is really cool though to be notified of such incidents and be able to witness them live. In most cases it is even possible to follow entire crew - ATC radio communication

Making light entertainment out of other people's distress. Really cool indeed :rolleyes: Presumably the same mentality that rubbernecks car wrecks and chases ambulances.

[wiggy]

Here we go again, again, and again..........the eternal 7700 thread

7700 may be "Squawked" for a variety of reasons. It does not necessarily means the wings are about to fall off, it's often done for quite mundane reasons, it may also be for things as passenger illness/injury. In any event we often select it because ATC tell us to ( it may help them out - I'll leave that to the likes of HD).

How do you find these things out..?

Some can find out through company "systems", that would be the most reliable source.......but if those individuals have any sense and they want to keep their jobs they are not going to broadcast the reasons here..I've no doubt some may well monitor VHF and pick up the details from what is discussed between the crew and the Traffic Polic...:mad:..sorry, Air Traffic controllers.. ....but again if they do listen in and have got any sense etc.....There may be a press release/company statement, if the incident is worthy of such. If it isn't then you'll never know - frankly you probably don't need to.

It is really cool though to be notified of such incidents and be able to witness them live.

Cool? Really? The last time I had to squawk 7700 despite everybody's best efforts a passenger subsequently died. You might want to think a bit harder about what you are witnessing, because you sure as heck are not are not watching a video game or an episode of Big Brother. If I was you I'd edit out the "cool" remark..but I'm not you.

As Phileas mentioned:

Call me old fashioned but I consider it to be sick, indeed disgusting, that a website attempts to gain profit, by retail advertising on said website, from other(s) being in distress.


A +1 from me for that. Having been a spotter in previous life (even had a radio..tut, tut) I can see the attraction of the basic product. In the past my kids have used FR it to keep an eye on me :ooh:, but the idea that folks are signing up (and presumably paying) to be alerted by phone/SMS or whatever means to any 7700 that pops up sounds a bit...well shall we say "strange", at the very least..

Oh and +1 to TT's comment, and also ++11 to what HD said as well...Traffic cop, my ****

and breathe............................