RAF helicopter declares emergency near London

The aircraft, a Boeing-Vertol CH-47 Chinook (SHF482) declared the emergency at 10.15pm on Wednesday, October 7.

It declared a general emergency at around 2,000 feet near London.

The code 7700 is the universal transponder code, known as a “squawk code”, that means the aircraft is declaring a general emergency and is recognisable worldwide.

Squawking 7700 also notifies all nearby air traffic controllers in the surrounding areas of the situation with the flight.

The codes are used worldwide as a way to manage flights everywhere.

Specific details of the emergency are currently unknown.

The aircraft, a Boeing CH-47 Chinook, is a twin-engine, tandem-rotor heavy-lift helicopter developed by Vertol and manufactured by Boeing.

Military forces across the world use the jets, including the UK.

It can carry up to 24,000 pounds of internal cargo or sling-load nearly 26,000 pounds externally.

There has been a focus on the RAF in recent weeks, following at ‘terror’ incident at the Fairford base in Gloucestershire on September 27.

Counter terror police opened an investigation after vans were found by the base.

Five British nationals, all in their mid-20s, who were arrested near the base have since been released on bail. A sixth man, a dual UK-Iranian national aged 25, was arrested last week. He has also been released on bail.

US military planes have all been removed from the base ‘urgently’ following the incident, that is believed to have been ‘linked to Iran’.

Since the incident, No10 has insisted RAF Fairford is safe despite the US withdrawing fighter jets from the base due to security concerns.

The Express has contacted the RAF for further details on why the emergency was declared.