一架飞往美国的航班在从伦敦起飞后不久经历了高度的剧烈变化，随后在空中盘旋了数小时。
A plane bound for the U.S. experienced a dramatic change in altitude shortly after taking off from London before spending hours circling in the air.
据报道，这架英国航空航班周一从伦敦希思罗机场飞往芝加哥，波音777客机下降了约27,000英尺，高度降至约9,000英尺。
The British Airways flight was traveling from London Heathrow Airport to Chicago on Monday when the Boeing 777 descended roughly 27,000 feet, reaching an altitude of about 9,000 feet, according to reports.
英国航空发言人告诉福克斯新闻数字版，飞机因“技术问题”返回希思罗机场。副驾驶中途生病 机组人员生病报告在过夜停留后出现 “我们客户和机组人员的安全始终是我们的首要任务，我们训练有素的飞行员在技术问题发生后将飞机安全降落在希思罗机场，”该发言人表示。
A British Airways spokesperson told Fox News Digital the aircraft returned to Heathrow following a "technical issue." CO-PILOT BECOMES SICK MIDAIR AS CREW ILLNESS REPORTS EMERGE AFTER OVERNIGHT LAYOVER "The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and the aircraft landed safely after our highly-trained pilots returned to Heathrow following a technical issue," the spokesperson said.
“乘客正常下机，我们的团队努力尽快恢复他们的行程安排，”英国航空发言人表示。
"Customers disembarked the aircraft normally and our teams worked to get their travel plans back on track as quickly as possible," the British Airways spokesperson said.
航班追踪网站FlightAware显示，飞机掉头飞向伦敦，但继续在空中飞行了数小时。它在英格兰上空盘旋，最终返回希思罗机场。
FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, showed the aircraft turning back toward London but remaining airborne for several more hours. It circled over England before eventually returning to Heathrow.
点击此处 前美国海军F/A-18战斗机飞行员、拥有近40年飞行经验的佛罗里达州马修·“Whiz”·巴克利告诉福克斯新闻数字版，该飞行模式似乎符合加压问题后的紧急下降程序。
Matthew "Whiz" Buckley of Florida, a retired U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighter pilot with nearly 40 years of flying experience, told Fox News Digital the flight pattern appeared consistent with an emergency descent that could follow a pressurization problem.
巴克利表示，如果客舱失压，将飞机高度降至10,000英尺以下将消除对补充氧气的需求。
Buckley said getting the aircraft below 10,000 feet would eliminate the need for supplemental oxygen if cabin pressure had been lost.
“他们完全按教科书操作，”巴克利说。“听起来一切都按预期运行。”然而，对乘客来说，更陡峭的下降可能是一种令人不安的体验——特别是如果氧气面罩弹出的话。
"They did everything by the book," Buckley said. "It sounds like everything worked as advertised." For passengers, however, the sharper descent can be an unsettling experience — particularly if oxygen masks were deployed.
点击此处阅读更多生活方式故事 “如果你习惯了普通枯燥的航空公司航班，这一趟肯定会让你大开眼界，”巴克利说。“这简直像坐过山车。” 这架飞机在折返后盘旋了数小时，也引发了疑问：为什么它不立即降落？
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES "If you're just used to regular boring airline flights, this one's gonna get your attention," Buckley said. "It's a roller-coaster ride." The aircraft's hours of circling after turning back also raised questions about why it did not immediately land.
巴克利表示，开始跨大西洋飞行的飞机会携带大量燃油，在返回跑道前可能需要减轻重量。
Buckley said a plane beginning a transatlantic flight would be carrying a significant amount of fuel and might need to reduce its weight before returning to the runway.
他说，如果无法释放燃油，飞机可以继续在空中盘旋，通过燃烧足够的燃油来达到合适的着陆重量。
If fuel could not be dumped, he said, the aircraft could remain airborne and circle while burning enough fuel to reach an appropriate landing weight.
测试一下你自己，参加我们最新的生活方式测验 “重机不能降落，”巴克利解释道，额外的重量会给飞机的起落架和刹车带来更大的压力。
"You cannot land heavy," Buckley said, explaining that the additional weight can put greater strain on the aircraft's landing gear and brakes.
巴克利补充道，面对飞行中出现的问题，飞行员必须评估飞机状况，并在返回地面前确定最安全的行动方案。“你不想把一个紧急情况变成另一个紧急情况，”他说。
Pilots facing an in-flight problem have to assess the aircraft's condition and determine the safest course of action before returning to the ground, Buckley added. "You don't want to turn one emergency into another," he said.