Transatlantic flight forced to divert to Shannon over medical emergency

The  flight from London landed in Shannon around 2pm.  A passenger was transferred to University Hospital Limerick but there were no details available on the patient's condition.   Picture : Eamon Ward

A transatlantic flight to the US has diverted to Shannon Airport this afternoon after the crew declared a medical emergency.

British Airways flight BA-185 was travelling from London's Heathrow Airport to Newark in New Jersey at the time. There were 197 passengers and a crew of 12 on board the Boeing 777-200 jet.

The flight was about 350km north west of Ireland when the crew declared a medical emergency, turned around and entered a holding pattern for about 30 minutes before routing towards Shannon. The crew also requested permission to dump aviation fuel while descending to ensure they touched down within safe landing weight limits.

The flight landed at 2.03pm and was met on arrival by Shannon Airport’s Fire and Rescue Service. It’s standard procedure for fire crews to be placed on standby at strategic locations adjacent to the runway when an aircraft diverts to Shannon after dumping aviation fuel.

Fire crews followed the aircraft to the terminal and remained nearby while a fire officer checked to ensure the jet’s braking system didn’t overheat during the emergency landing.

The aircraft was also met at the terminal by National Ambulance Service paramedics and airport authorities. The patient was assessed at the scene before being transported to University Hospital Limerick for further treatment.

The flight continued to its destination at 3.40pm after the aircraft was refuelled and the crew received a new flight plan.

There are no details available about the patient’s condition.