A jet was forced into an emergency landing after the window of its cockpit was shattered in a dramatic mid-air incident. The Aer Lingus jet bound for Manchester Airport declared an emergency as it was flying over the Irish Sea.
Flight tracking service Radar Box said the Aer Lingus flight EI3326 broadcast the urgent 7700 squawk message, which indicates a "general emergency" and usually highlights an engineering issue with the aircraft. It was later reported the message referred to a “badly shattered, right-hand windscreen”.
The flight took off from Dublin Airport at 3.15pm on Tuesday bound for Manchester Airport, but it was forced to make a U-turn and return to Dublin, ExpressOnline reports.
An Emerald Airlines spokesperson, operator of Aer Lingus regional services, said: "Aer Lingus regional, operated by Emerald Airlines, can confirm that flight EI3326 from Dublin Airport to Manchester Airport, May 31, returned to Dublin shortly after take-off due to a technical issue onboard.
"The aircraft landed safely in Dublin a short time later."
Squawking is a way of aircraft declaring an emergency with air traffic control, so it can receive on-the-ground assistance and permission to land ahead of other planes. If an aircraft transponder is switched to the code of 7700, all air traffic control facilities in the area are immediately alerted that the aircraft has an emergency situation.
