Mobile call ends British Airways flight

A British Airways flight from London to New York yesterday turned around mid-flight and returned to Heathrow Airport after a mobile phone started ringing.

"Flight BA179 has returned as a precautionary measure," a spokeswoman for BA said. "A mobile phone was located on board the aircraft which none of the passengers appeared to own. The captain assessed the situation with the BA security team at Heathrow and it was decided that it was safe to continue. The captain decided to return to Heathrow as a precaution. [He] explained his decision to the 217 passengers."