Flight radar people

[LaaDeeDa321]

There’s a Tom flight which took off from Manchester to Gran Canaria an hour ago circling over Liverpool at 7000 ft. What possible reasons are there for this?

I’m killing time just now in Liverpool waiting to collect family.
I will see what I can discover.

dumping fuel to make an emergency landing maybe

That’s what I’m thinking @chipsandpeas It seems a bit irregular.

I’m guessing that it’s going to make an emergency landing, maybe a medical emergency or someone acting dangerously on board?

It'll be reported in the MEN and/or Liverpool Echo no doubt. Fingers crossed things pan out okay.

It’s now stopped circling and is back in route for Gran Canaria?

Looks like it needs to go back to Manchester.
Could be a disruptive passenger, passenger/crew medical issue, technical problem.

Looks like it is back on the approach to land at Manchester now

Actually looks like it’s turning to land back at Manchester. I think it was waiting for a clear runway to land. Must be an issue on board.

im intrigued now, and feeling a bit sorry for the folk on the plane whos holiday will be a bit screwed now

It’s been quite stressful watching it. An hour and 22 minutes in the air.

https://www.webcamtaxi.com/en/england/greater-manchester/manchester-airport-plane-spotting.html

if your quik you might see it land

Landing gear wouldn't retract, so had to return to Manchester

Is that confirmed?

Thanks @comedownwithme It looks like everything is ok as it’s landed.

Sorry @Thunderpunt

Only what the guys filming said - whether they have any insider knowledge I don't know

There's something happening with a Frankfurt to Houston flight too - UAL47. Currently circling over the Channel Islands.

I saw that on twitter @JoanThursday I’ve recently become interested in aviation. I spotted a Beluga the other day. I may give up though because that was stressful.

What you watched was actually pretty routine.

Aircraft had a problem and circled to reduce landing weight (it can't 'dump' fuel) before returning to base safely.

It happens more often than you would think and the majority of things you will watch on FR will not result in anything serious.

Appears to be heading back to Frankfurt now.

USL47 looks to be heading back the way it came too

Yes it does appear to be returning to Frankfurt - currently over 4300 tracking it!

UAL47 tracking on ADS-B
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=aacc5b -

The ADS-B page also indicates that it's "squawk" is 7700, which is used as a code to indicate to Air Traffic Control that the plane is declaring an emergency.

"This could include any 'Mayday' situation, such as engine failure, pressurization problems, other technical problems, or urgent medical emergencies. Squawking 7700 will allow ATC to prepare for a quick landing, allowing controllers to inform nearby aircraft and clear any runways needed, as well as inform the authorities of any other support necessary (such as fire services or an ambulance). Having such a code available is very useful. It not only advises ground operators clearly of the problem, but it also provides a quick way for pilots to communicate."

From: What Does It Mean When A Plane Squawks 7700?

That page also gives a couple of examples where a plane squawked 7700 and returned to land promptly because passengers could smell burning. In both cases all was fine but until confirmed as fine it was treated as an emergency.

Hoping all will soon be well with passengers and crew of UAL47, with nothing more dramatic than a good anecdote :)

Jo

Squawking 7700 indicates some degree of urgency/a need for some degree of priority but the actual amount varies....sometimes the controller ask for the crew to change from their normal squawk to 7700 simply because it helps make the aircraft more visible to other controllers handling adjacent blocks of airspace....

In the context of UAL47 bear in mind it returned from the vicinity of the Channel Islands back to Frankfurt - if there had been a high degree of urgency then for example Paris was one of several more obvious places to divert to.