A FLIGHT heading to the United States was forced to make an emergency landing in Scotland after sending a mid-air emergency alert.
The Delta Air Lines flight was forced to land at Edinburgh Airport on Sunday evening after its pilot issued a 700 squawk code, signalling an emergency onboard.
The DAL21 London to Seattle flight took off at around 6.46pm on Sunday, with 183 passengers and 12 crew members on board, and was due to land state-side after 10 hours of flying.
However, after only one hour into the journey, the Delta Air Lines pilot declared an emergency, and the plane was forced to make a U-turn over the Highlands and back to the Central Belt.
An emergency squawk is typically used to identify an aircraft that has encountered a potential issue, which can range from a medical incident to a technical fault with the plane, and is usually given priority over other air traffic.
The plane landed at Edinburgh Airport safely at around 8.30pm and was met by emergency services on the tarmac, according to The Herald.
A Delta spokesperson told the paper that the mid-air alert was potentially caused by an issue with a floor heater.
The spokesperson said: “Delta flight 21 from London Heathrow to Seattle diverted to Edinburgh where it landed normally following a reported mechanical issue.
“At Delta, nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and crew.
“We apologise to our customers for the delay in their travels.”
