United Airlines flight to San Francisco declares emergency after Heathrow take-off with reports of smoke in cabin of Boeing 777 aircraft

A United Airlines plane had to make an emergency landing shortly after take-off from Heathrow on Wednesday (July 30). The San Francisco-bound aircraft declared an emergency following reports of smoke in the cabin.

Flight UA949, a Boeing 777-200ER, took off at 12.23pm but stopped its climb at 15,000 feet and turned back near Milton Keynes. It is understood the crew reported a technical issue and broadcast a 7700 emergency squawk with smoke said to be visible in the cabin.

The jet landed safely and was met on the taxiway by police and three fire engines, which escorted it back to the gate. Video footage captured at the time of the emergency landing shows the aircraft touching down and moving slowly along the runway with emergency vehicles in close formation.

A spokesperson from Heathrow Airport said the plane landed safely and “had no wider impact on operations.” London Fire Brigade attended the incident, but said no direct action was required.

Following the incident, United Airlines released a statement saying: “United flight 949 from London Heathrow to San Francisco returned to London shortly after take-off to address fumes in the aircraft’s galley. The flight landed safely, passengers deplaned normally at the gate, and we’re working to get our customers to their destinations as soon as possible.”

It’s the second emergency involving the same aircraft in a week with the jet reportedly declaring another emergency on approach to San Francisco seven days earlier due to an engine issue.

Earlier this year, another Boeing 777 was forced to make an emergency landing in Brazil, however, this was said to have been due to a passenger clogging the toilet. Pilots for the Air France flight were forced to make the unscheduled landing in Brazil while on route to its destination from Paris in January .

The jet wasn't far from its destination of Rio de Janeiro when it had to divert to Pinto Martins International Airport in Fortaleza. Fraport, which manages the Brazilian airport, said Flight AF 484 had to make the stop due to a QTU (Quick Toilet Unit) on board. The plane had to be serviced and cleared of sanitary waste.

Brazilian media reported the incident was caused by a passenger who had caused the toilet to be unusable, although did not provide further details.