Loss of cabin pressure over the Irish Sea

LONDON - A British Airways Boeing 777-200 aborted a transatlantic flight over the Irish Sea and headed back to London.

British Airways flight 295, London-Heathrow to Chicago O'Hare, turned around over the Irish Sea Monday. The Boeing 777-200 left its cruising altitude and descended to 9,000 feet within around eight minutes.

At that altitude, the pilots turned the aircraft back toward London.

Following a loss of cabin pressure, the passenger oxygen masks were released from their compartments. The crew dumped fuel before the aircraft landed safely back at London-Heathrow.

The incident is now under investigation. British Airways has withdrawn the aircraft, registered G-VIIA, from service.