New York-bound American Airlines plane with 100 people on board diverts to Ireland because of a 'battery discharge' that could have started a fire

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A plane en route to the U.S. from Heathrow with 100 people on board was forced to divert to Ireland because of a 'battery discharge'.

After the flight crew of the American Airlines plane told air traffic controllers of the problem, they were told to land at the nearest airport and not to continue over the Atlantic Ocean.

One serving pilot described how an immediate landing in this case would be 'absolutely necessary' because it could cause a fire.

An American Airlines plane en route to New York from Heathrow was forced to divert to Shannon due to a 'battery discharge' (file photo)

'The battery would probably be a Nickel Cadmium and even if the issue did not start a fire, the leak would be highly corrosive and an immediate landing would be absolutely required,' the pilot, who wishes to remain anonymous, told MailOnline Travel. 

'In terms of power supply, airborne the batteries provide a back up in case of an engine generator failure. So again an immediate landing would be required.' 

The Boeing 777 was 90 minutes into its seven-hour journey to New York JFK Airport and made a safe landing at Shannon.

It had departed Heathrow at 8.40pm, landing in Ireland at 10.10pm. 

The crew had advised controllers they had an issue with a 'battery discharging' and had been advised to divert to the nearest airport, reported the Clare Herald.

Engineers are set to carry out an investigation into what caused the problem.

American Airlines said: 'American Airlines flight 141, a Boeing 777 from London Heathrow to New York JFK, diverted to Shannon, Ireland, due to an indicator light in the cockpit reporting a possible mechanical issue. The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the gate.

'Our maintenance team is currently inspecting the aircraft. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience, and are working to get them to New York as soon as possible.'

The passengers are expected to resume their journey this afternoon (Friday).

This graphic shows the American Airlines' flight path after it was forced to divert to Shannon Airport

Dai Whittingham, chief executive of the Flight Safety Committee, told MailOnline Travel: 'If you receive an indication that a battery is discharging, it is an indication that not only is the charging mechanism faulty, like an alternator warning in a car, but that the power is being drained for some reason, which means you may not have sufficient time to reach an airport and fly an approach before the power supply fails. 

'Under some circumstances you might be able to continue a flight and sort the problem on the ground at your planned destination, but once you head off into the Atlantic you have far fewer options as the nearest airport may be several hours away. 

'You would not want to be in a situation where you had no back-up system in the event of a major electrical failure, so the sensible option would be to divert to the nearest suitable airport, in this case Shannon.' 

Aviation account Aviation News 24 posted about the diversion on their Twitter account

Passengers landed safely at Shannon Airport at 10.10pm last night and are set to resume their journey to New York this afternoon

In August 2015, MailOnline reported on how a fire on a Boeing Dreamliner jet parked at London's Heathrow Airport was triggered by trapped battery wires.

The Ethiopian Airlines-operated Boeing 787 Dreamliner caught fire while on a remote parking stand in July 2013.

Runways at Europe's busiest airport were closed as firefighters were called in to deal with the blaze. 

The fire was caused by wires for an emergency beacon's lithium-metal battery being crossed and trapped under the battery cover which probably created a short-circuit, the report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.

This could have enabled a 'rapid discharge of the battery', leading to overheating and the release of smoke, fire and flammable electrolyte.

Investigators found that the trapped wires broke the battery seal, which allowed flames, hot gas and battery decomposition products to escape.

The beacon was installed above the ceiling of the passenger cabin towards the back of the plane.

The AAIB noted that its location made it difficult for firefighters to find the source of the blaze.