A JetBlue flight from Fort Lauderdale to Boston declared an emergency on Tuesday 27 October as it descended towards Logan International Airport. The Airbus A320 landed safely a short time later. However, the cause of the emergency remains unknown.
Routine Start for the Boston Service
Flight B6690 departed Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport at 06:02 local time, almost exactly on schedule.
JetBlue schedules the early morning service at three hours and 13 minutes from gate to gate. JetBlue flies B6690 every day, normally with an A320.
According to Flightradar24, the A320 then climbed to 37,000 feet and cruised north along the East Coast.
Over the New Jersey coast, the jet began a normal descent towards Boston. Up to this point, nothing in the flight data looked out of the ordinary.
Two Emergency Codes on Descent
At 08:23 local time, the aircraft was descending through 24,300 feet near Old Saybrook on the Connecticut shoreline. At that moment, its transponder switched to 7600, the code that signals a radio communications failure. That position placed the aircraft a little over 100 miles south west of Boston.
Roughly 90 seconds later, the code changed again to 7700. Crews select this squawk to declare a general emergency, and it immediately alerts air traffic controllers.
Transponder codes give controllers an instant picture of what is happening onboard. Aviation reserves three codes for abnormal situations: 7500 for unlawful interference, 7600 for a loss of radio contact and 7700 for a general emergency.
Under Federal Aviation Administration rules, a crew that loses radio contact continues along its cleared route and expected altitudes. Controllers then keep other traffic clear of the aircraft. By contrast, a 7700 squawk covers almost any serious problem, from a medical emergency in the cabin to a technical fault.
The switch between codes is notable. However, a brief 7600 squawk does not on its own confirm a radio failure. So far, JetBlue has not explained what prompted the emergency.
Safe Landing at Boston Logan
After the emergency call, the A320 continued directly towards Boston. It descended at a steady rate of around 2,000 to 2,400 feet per minute, with no holding pattern along the way. Its groundspeed fell from almost 500 knots to around 260 knots by the time it passed 5,600 feet, roughly 30 miles from the airport.
The jet touched down at Boston Logan at 08:42 local time, 31 minutes ahead of its 09:13 scheduled arrival. In total, the flight lasted two hours and 40 minutes, and the final 17 minutes took place under the emergency squawk.
Flightradar24 data then shows the aircraft slowing and taxiing after touchdown. At the time of writing, there are no reports of injuries.
A Veteran of the JetBlue Fleet
JetBlue operated the service with N589JB, an Airbus A320-232 with manufacturer serial number 2215. The aircraft first flew on 21 April 2004 under the Airbus test registration F-WWBJ. JetBlue then took delivery on 4 June 2004, and the jet has flown for the airline ever since.
At around 22 years old, N589JB is one of the more mature aircraft in the JetBlue fleet. It carries the name Blue Skies Ahead and uses two IAE V2527-A5 engines. Its cabin seats 162 passengers.
JetBlue has flown the A320 since it launched services in 2000, and the type remains central to its network at Boston and beyond. You can view its full history on Planespotters.
We will update this story when JetBlue confirms the cause. Until then, you can follow emergencies as they happen on The Aviation Hub’s Squawk 7700 page.
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