MANCHESTER, UK — A Lufthansa flight bound for Toronto was forced to make an emergency diversion to Manchester Airport after issuing a squawk 7700 distress call over Scottish airspace.
Flight LH470, operated by a 25-year-old Boeing 747-430 registered as D-ABVY, departed Frankfurt Airport (FRA) at 15:00 local time (13:00 UTC) bound for Toronto Pearson International Airport. After climbing to a cruising altitude of 32,000 feet while passing over the Netherlands, the transatlantic flight proceeded normally for the first hour and a half.
Approximately 90 minutes into the flight, while cruising over Scotland, the aircrew initiated a sudden left turn and transmitted squawk 7700, the international transponder code indicating a general emergency onboard.
Air Traffic Control vectored the heavy four-engine jet toward Manchester Airport (MAN) for an immediate arrival. The aircraft touched down safely on Runway 23R at 15:57 local time (14:57 UTC).
Because the aircraft was heavily loaded with fuel intended for a long-haul Atlantic crossing, the crew executed a heavy landing. As a standard safety precaution for overweight landings, the jumbo jet came to a stop on a taxiway, where it was immediately surrounded by airport fire and emergency response vehicles to monitor brakes and landing gear for potential overheating.
Lufthansa has scheduled a new departure time from Manchester Airport at 17:15 local time to resume the flight to Toronto, allowing time for safety inspections and operational clearance.
