Ryanair Flight Issues Distress Signal After Radio Failure
A Ryanair flight approaching London Stansted Airport reportedly sent an emergency distress signal after losing radio contact with air traffic controllers on September 22. According to flight-tracking data, Boeing 737 flight FR642 departed Valencia at 11:12 a.m. local time and was less than 20 miles from Stansted when it began circling at 9,000 feet.
Airlive and other outlets reported that the crew squawked 7600, the internationally recognized transponder code for radio communication failure. The U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority manual instructs pilots to use this code to alert controllers when they cannot communicate verbally. Aviation training experts note that switching to 7600 allows controllers to clear surrounding traffic and adjust airspace procedures so the “mute” aircraft can land safely.
FlightAware data showed FR642 held altitude for about 16 minutes and made three loops before executing a wide turn toward the runway. The aircraft landed at 12:40 p.m. local time and was guided to its gate by a “follow me” vehicle on the ground.
While neither Ryanair nor Stansted immediately commented, the incident underscores how even brief communication failures can present safety challenges during busy approach phases. Earlier this year, a separate outage at Newark Liberty International Airport temporarily left controllers unable to communicate with planes, prompting the FAA to upgrade telecommunications equipment in the New York area.
Such events highlight the importance of robust redundancy in both aircraft and air traffic control systems to maintain safety when technology fails at critical moments.
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