This week, an American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER, registered as N722AN, has been having a bit of a rough time trying to make it across the Atlantic from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to the US. On two consecutive days, the aircraft had to turn back to its starting point due to unforeseen issues. Today, it’s gearing up for a third attempt to complete its journey. It’s not uncommon for planes to return to their origin due to various reasons, especially on long-haul flights where crew working hours are a concern. Let’s dive into what happened during these two incidents.
The first hiccup occurred on Tuesday, July 29, when flight AA21 was en route to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The plane took off at 11:04 AM, but shortly after, it had to circle near the southwestern tip of Wales to burn off fuel before heading back to London, landing at 1:03 PM. The culprit? A technical glitch with the jet’s environmental control systems. Although the maintenance team confirmed it could be fixed, it wasn’t something that could be done mid-air. There was talk of flying to New York JFK for repairs, but the Captain decided it was best to return to London.
The following day, after spending over 24 hours on the ground for repairs, N722AN was ready for its next mission: flight AA107 to JFK. However, due to a UK air traffic control issue, the flight left two hours late, taking off at 7:07 PM instead of the scheduled 5:00 PM. This time, the plane made it as far as the southern tip of Ireland before having to turn back again. While the exact reason for this second diversion wasn’t immediately clear, it certainly added to the aircraft’s challenging week. Here’s hoping the third time’s the charm for N722AN!
#AviationNews #Boeing777 #AmericanAirlines #TravelUpdates #FlightDiversion
Originally reported by Simple Flying Read More
