SEATTLE — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
A Virgin Atlantic Airways flight from London Heathrow bound for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) turned around Thursday after reportedly showing erratic flight behavior, according to tracking data.
The flight, identified as Flight 4, reversed course roughly 1 hour and 27 minutes into its journey, just off the northwest coast of Scotland. Data from FlightAware.com showed sudden drops in speed, with the aircraft appearing to fluctuate between 551 mph and 450 mph, while maintaining an altitude of 36,000 feet.
The same pattern was recorded three additional times.
KIRO Newsradio reached out to Virgin Atlantic for comment.
“The VS105 from London Heathrow to Seattle on July 25 has diverted to Manchester Airport to refuel due to air traffic control restrictions,” a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson stated. “The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and our teams are working hard to ensure our customers can continue on their journey as soon as possible. We sincerely apologize for the delay and any inconvenience caused.”
This is a developing story, check back for updates
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
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