Mid-air 'fire' forces Ryanair flight to UK into emergency landing in Spain

The Ryanair flight was diverted to Madrid on its way to Stansted. (Image: Getty)

A Ryanair flight to Stansted was forced to divert to Madrid after a possible "fire indication" near a wheel. The plane, coming from Malaga, landed safely after flight deck reported what could have been a "gear failure", according to reports on social media. FlightEmergency wrote on X: "Diverted to Madrid due to fire indication in the Gear well.

"Flight deck reported possible gear failure but managed to land safely. A replacement aircraft will bring passengers back to Stansted." The gear well on a plane is the compartment where the landing gear (wheels and associated struts) are stowed when retracted during flight.

It's essentially a cavity within the airplane's structure, either in the wings or fuselage, that houses the landing gear when not in use.

FlightRadar24, a website that tracks aircraft, reported that the Ryanair flight was sheduled to depart at 12:10 from Malaga, but was 24 minutes delayed. It was due to arrive at Stansted at 14:05 before it had to divert to Madrid.

The Boeing 737 declared an emergency using the 7700 squawk code around an hour into its journey, according to Air Nav Radar.

Squawking 7700 signals a generaly emergency to Air Traffic Control (ATC) and can be used for a number of reasons, many of them routine.

General emergencies include things like an electrical fault, although they can be more serious, such as engine trouble or a medical emergency.

The code is often used as a precautionary measure rather than a sign that the plane is in any immediate danger. ATC then have the chance to give the aircraft priority handling and prepare emergency services if needed.