Red plane on Flightradar24 over Manchester.

[Cheeseandlobster]

Are there any fellow Flightradar geeks on here? There is a red tui plane over Manchester right now squaking. Any idea why?

I was just about to say the same, these things happen daily all over the world (including quite often over the UK) it's just Twitter/the media pick it up sometimes and it gets more attention.

The squak could be anything - major or minor. But the circling suggests they don't want to fly off to their end destination.

If it's a high emergency they'd get clearance to land at the nearest airport as a priority. They are capable of landing heavy with full fuel. If needed though, they could pop out over the sea, dump the fuel and head straight in.

The fact that they've been circling so long suggests a minor-at-this-time problem (comms / navigation / instrumentation) they're investigating / trying to solve on the wing before heading off into the distance.
If lives were at risk they'd be straight down onto the nearest long military runway.

Imo

I Imagine it's a tech issue - but not anything serious enough to have to land asap- it's not uncommon(ex flight dispatcher here!). If it was anything serious they'd have tried to land it as soon as poss!

it's common practice to go back to base/ take off airport as that's where the company engineers, equipment and staff to help re- book the passengers are.

Don't feel silly cheese I have no idea either.

I really feel for them as if they are returned to Manchester they can be forgiven for thinking they have landed in hell.

Just seen on twitter they've given a code 7700 general emergency. They're keeping slow and low 7000ft 250kts looping home airport (MAN).

Not fun, they've been U.K. there over 2hrs doing loop the loops.

Looks like it's going off somewhere else now. Landing at East Midlands?

Seems to be headed to east mids

Dumping fuel into the sea is not great for the environment so avoided if there are other options. Sounds like it's a relatively minor problem where they can take their time but can't continue to fly to Cape Verde.

Or maybe Doncaster

Gosh imagine being a family member tracking the flight as I often do. They must be worried sick

RAF base at Newark?

Better than dumping the fuel over land even Wrexham

Thank you 😊

Nope, turned around again

Or back to Manchester?

Looks like it's swinging back to Manchester.

How high up is it flying? Not that I know that much about such things.

My mum watches my flights religiously whenever I go anywhere - shed be having kittens if she was watching this!

I do this all the time and I would be the same!

@lightand it's low, about 7000 feet.

Am following DS1 on a Manchester TUI flight this morning to Greece but got completely sidetracked by this.

It should be coming over me shortly.

Thought it was landing at Manchester but it isn’t descending.

if dumping above about 5000-6000 feet it's generally reckoned the fuel doesn't make it down to the ground/sea, it vapourises.

As other have said since the aircraft isn't rushing to land so this it looks like a minor'ish problem....ATC often ask aircraft crew to set 7700 even for quite minor problems just to increase visibility with them (ATC).

Most 7700 over UK airspace are medical emergencies, that may not be the case given the relatively relaxed time scale.

Watching this thread a little nervously