Fear in the Air as Cracked Window Forces Emergency Diversion to Airport

A flight-tracking website says British Airways flight 2660 made a dramatic turn over France after sending a 7700 emergency code linked to a cracked window, and returned to Gatwick Airport.

Aviation expert makes emergency landing of passenger jet after window shatters, prompting safety concerns

Retired airline captain Steven Arroyo talks about the safety concerns surrounding a cracked window that forced a British Airways flight back to the airport.

A passenger flight bound for a popular European destination turned back less than an hour into its journey.

According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, British Airways Flight 2660 was traveling from London Gatwick Airport to Faro, Portugal on October 13 when the plane reversed course over France and returned to London.

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A spokesman for the organization said in a statement: "The aircraft diverted following a minor technical problem and landed safely at London Gatwick.

We apologized to customers for travel delays and our teams worked hard to get their travel plans back on track.

A cracked window apparently caused the diversion, although British Airways only cited an unspecified technical problem.

According to AirNav Radar, the flight crew sent an emergency code of 7700.

"It lights up on the radar screen and allows air traffic control to be notified of an event," Arroyo said.

He noted that the code itself doesn't tell controllers exactly what's wrong.

Pilots can then communicate with air traffic control about the nature of the problem and what assistance they may need.

The unexpected return reportedly occurred after the passenger window was broken during the flight (not pictured). (iStock)

Airplane passenger windows are made of multiple layers, so the severity of a crack depends on the location of the damage, Arroyo said.

In more serious situations, the damage can affect the plane's ability to maintain cabin pressure, Arroyo said.

However, a crack can also be less severe and force the crew to land as a precaution.

When deciding whether to continue the flight or divert, Arroyo said the crew considers several factors, with safety as a top priority.

Returning to Gatwick would allow pilots to land before the broken window worsened, he said.

Experts say that airplane passenger windows are made of several layers and the severity of the crack depends on the location of the damage. (iStock)

Arroyo advises passengers who see window damage to alert a flight attendant rather than assume it's there.

"Pilots want that kind of information," he said, noting that passengers can help cabin crew identify something that might need more attention.

Damage can affect the aircraft's ability to maintain cabin pressure.

A passenger window opened shortly after the plane took off from Thessaloniki, Greece, and a 61-year-old passenger was nearly ejected during the depressurization of the cabin.

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Other passengers helped push him back, according to reports inside

The plane returned safely to Thessaloniki, while the passenger was taken for medical treatment with neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns.

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