An American Airlines transatlantic flight between Charlotte, North Carolina, and London Heathrow had to be diverted to New York, reportedly because of a navigation system issue. There have been no reports of injuries, and the aircraft made a safe landing.
American Airlines Boeing 777 diverts to New York City
An 
American Airlines
Boeing 777-200ER flying between Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in North Carolina and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) had to cut short its journey on December 13.
Data from Flightradar24 reveals that the plane had reached a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet when it was seen turning around. According to a report by The Aviation Herald, the 777 was “about 110nm south-southeast of New York” when the pilots informed air traffic control about the failure of their redundant navigation systems.
This was a cause of concern, and the crew was unable to cross the ocean because of the issue. The report adds that the pilots initially wanted to return to Charlotte, but following a conversation with dispatch, it was decided that diverting to New York JFK was the best course of action.
The aircraft was carrying a heavy fuel load for its transatlantic flight and had to circle around a bit before it could land in New York. Thankfully, the plane touched down safely, but it did cause a massive delay for passengers. They were reportedly accommodated on another aircraft to London. Simple Flying has contacted American Airlines for comments.
About the flight and aircraft
The incident took place on American Airlines flight AA732, a scheduled service between Charlotte, North Carolina, and London Heathrow. The flight departs at 20:20 and arrives in London at 09:15. It usually takes around seven and a half hours to complete the journey.
Photo: Ceri Breeze | Shutterstock
The aircraft involved in the December 13 incident is a Boeing 777-200ER registered N750AN. According to ch-aviation, it is 23.77 years old and was delivered to American in March 2001. It can seat 273 passengers across four configurations – 146 in economy, 66 in economy plus, 24 in premium economy, and 37 in business class.
As of June 2024, it has accumulated more than 90,000 flight hours across 11,617 flight cycles. At the time of writing, it was on its way to London Heathrow from New York JFK.
Flights are diverted for all kinds of reasons
Flight diversions are fairly common and can occur for a number of reasons. Simple Flying has covered multiple diversions this year, and a look at some of these incidents in recent weeks and months reveals various reasons.
Engine fire
On December 1, a Gulf Air Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flying between Bahrain International Airport (BAH) and Manchester Airport (MAN)
had to divert to Kuwait after one of its engines caught fire
. It was Gulf Air Flight GF5, a scheduled service between Bahrain and Manchester.
Photo: Soos Jozsef | Shutterstock
The aircraft involved in the incident was a 6.5-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner registered A9C-FB. It was delivered to Gulf Air in June 2018.
Hydraulic failure
On November 14, a scheduled passenger service operated by American Airlines between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) had to divert to Atlanta due to a hydraulic failure.
The incident took place on an Airbus A321, an almost 10-year-old aircraft delivered to American in July 2015. Once it landed in Atlanta, it had to be towed off the runway because, without hydraulics, the crew could not steer the nose gear of the aircraft.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Flaps issue
On November 13, Southwest Airlines Flight 4474 from Oakland International (OAK) to Reno–Tahoe International (RNO) had to be diverted to Sacramento International Airport (SMF), after the crew reported a possible flap issue. The aircraft in question was a 16.7-year-old Boeing 737-700.
Disruptive passenger
It’s not always a technical issue with the plane that forces a diversion. On November 27, a 
Delta Air Lines
flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) had to be diverted to Dublin due to an unruly passenger. While the crew is trained to de-escalate most situations onboard, sometimes diversion is the only option.
Related
Delta Air Lines Flight From Paris To Atlanta Diverted To Dublin To Offload Disruptive Passenger
The incident occurred on Wednesday.