American Airlines AAL705 squawks 7700 over cruise, diverts Boeing 777 to London Heathrow

American Airlines flight AAL705, a Boeing 777-200 registered N789AN, departed Frankfurt am Main Airport (EDDF) at 07:23 UTC on 25 May 2026, bound for Charlotte. ADS-B data reviewed by SkyMeter shows the aircraft climbed out of Frankfurt on an initial heading of 19 degrees before turning left to approximately 291 degrees westbound, reaching a cruise altitude of 35,680 feet.

At 08:19 UTC, while level at cruise altitude, the aircraft's transponder broadcast a Squawk 7700 general emergency code. A descent began almost immediately afterward, with the steepest recorded rate reaching 5,070 feet per minute as the aircraft dropped from cruise altitude toward the London area.

The recorded ADS-B track shows AAL705 entering a series of turns near London City Airport and holding at approximately 8,850 feet for roughly 11 minutes, with heading shifts through south, east, and northeast before the aircraft turned westbound and resumed its descent. A stabilized final approach was then flown on a heading of 90 degrees, beginning from about 2,600 feet, with the aircraft touching down at London Heathrow (EGLL) and taxiing in by 09:14 UTC, about 87 minutes after departure.

The full flight replay, including the emergency squawk and diversion track, is available on SkyMeter.