RAF emergency: Eurofighter Typhoon squawks ‘7700’ off coast of England

The jet, a Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4, sent the code at 22,966ft in the air near the Northumberland coastline, with flight tracking data showing it had come from Scotland. It is not yet known what the plane’s destination was nor why the 7700 signal was transmitted. Squawking is a way in which an aircraft declares an emergency with traffic control, so on-the-ground assistance is provided.

Boeing 757/767 pilot Captain Ken Hoke explained: “If a crew resets their transponder to the emergency code of 7700 (squawking 7700), all air traffic control facilities in the area are immediately alerted that the aircraft has an emergency situation.

“It’s up to the crew to let ATC know what the exact situation is.

The Typhoon FGR4 is a fourth-generation multi-role combat aircraft described by the Royal Air Force as “a highly capable and extremely agile” plane.

It is deployed for a range of operations including “air policing, peace support and high-intensity conflict”.

The jet’s profile on the RAF website reads: “The pilot performs many essential functions through the aircraft’s hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS) interface which, combined with an advanced cockpit and the Helmet Equipment Assembly (HEA), renders Typhoon superbly equipped for all aspects of air operations.”

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