US B-52 bomber declares mid-air emergency over southern England

A United States Air Force Boeing B-52H Stratofortress declared an in-flight emergency on March 24, while operating over southern England, before landing safely at its base, according to preliminary information.

The aircraft, registration 60-0060, issued a Squawk 7700 signal — the international code for a general emergency — while flying at around 10,000 feet east of Southampton, in the Solent area, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

It was subsequently observed descending in a controlled manner.

The bomber later touched down at RAF Fairford at 09:38 GMT.

The U.S. Air Force has not issued a formal statement, but the incident was attributed to a depressurisation issue, according to available information. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

RAF Fairford, located in Gloucestershire, serves as a key forward operating location for U.S. strategic bombers in Europe and regularly hosts Bomber Task Force deployments supporting NATO operations.

It was not immediately clear whether the incident would affect ongoing missions or deployments.

By Aghakazim Guliyev