RAF emergency: Lightning II jet issues 7700 ‘Squawk’ code at 15,000ft over north sea

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The RAF Lightning II jet, which is a single-seat interceptor, issued the urgent warning on Thursday morning while flying over Wells-next-to-the-Sea. 

 

It is not yet known why the 7700 signal was transmitted.

The destination of the flight is also not known. 

A 7700 emergency code means that all air traffic control facilities in the area are immediately alerted that the aircraft has an emergency situation.

It’s up to the crew to let Air Traffic Control know what the exact situation is.

The military plane was flying at a speed of 365.6kts at the time it transmitted the code. 

Writing for Flightradar24, Ken Hoke, a Boeing flight captain, explained “squawking” is a way of an aircraft declaring an emergency with traffic control, so they can receive on-the-ground assistance.

He said: “If a crew resets their transponder to the emergency code of 7700 (squawking 7700), all air traffic control facilities in the area are immediately alerted that the aircraft has an emergency situation.

“It is up to the crew to let ATC know what the exact situation is. It may be an aircraft problem, medical issue, or something else.

“In some cases, a crew may not elect to change their transponder to 7700 (it’s not required). If I’m talking to Chicago Approach and have a problem, I’ll tell them the problem, declare an emergency over the radio and get vectors to land immediately.”

The RAF describe the Lightning II combat aircraft as a multi-role machine capable of conducting air-to-surface, electronic warfare, intelligence gathering and air-to-air missions simultaneously. 

It also uses advanced sensors and mission systems with low observable technology, which enables it to operate undetected in hostile airspace. 

READ MORE: Britons fighting for life after horror moped crash

It comes just days after a TUI plane issued a 7700 ‘squawk’ warning after taking off from Manchester Airport and experiencing technical issues. 

The Boeing 767, heading to Cape Verde, was scheduled to depart at 9.25am but was delayed by over an hour.

A ‘Squawk 7700’ emergency was issued shortly after take-off, with the aircraft repeatedly circling over the Peak District before landing at the airport around 1.15pm.

Flight tracking site Flightradar24 showed the emergency call was issued 14 minutes into the flight but was forced to circle at an altitude of 7000ft for two and a half hours before it could land. 





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