A British Airways A380 spent seven hours in the air before landing back in Joburg. It spent more than two hours flying over Botswana and Zambia before reaching the Democratic Republic of Congo. “Malfunctioning weather radar might sound minor compared to an engine failure, but in long-haul aviation, it is considered a critical no-go scenario,” writes Luke Diaz. ADVERTISEMENTThe total absence of weather radar left the pilots on flight BA54 with no choice but to land the plane. Second time luckyThe aircraft then underwent maintenance checks and repairs to its weather radar system.