ORLANDO, Fla.— A United Airlines flight departing Orlando International Airport (MCO) declared an in-flight emergency shortly after takeoff on Friday.
United Airlines Flight UA2746, operated by a Boeing 737-900ER (registration N66831), departed Orlando at 12:51 UTC bound for Washington, D.C. Approximately 30 minutes into the scheduled three-hour flight, the flight crew broadcasted transponder code Squawk 7700, the general aviation signal indicating an emergency on board.
Upon declaring the emergency, the crew halted their climb at an altitude of 22,000 feet.
Setting the transponder code to 7700 immediately alerts Air Traffic Control (ATC) that an aircraft requires priority handling. While squawking 7700 can cover a broad range of operational issues including mechanical irregularities, pressure anomalies, or medical incidents pilots typically level off at a lower altitude when managing pressurization concerns or evaluating technical checks.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more details become available.
UPDATE 13:29 UTC
The crew is reporting engine issue (AIRLIVE‘s source).
UPDATE 13:39 UTC
Diverting to Jacksonville.
UPDATE 14:03 UTC
Touch down on runway 08.
