① Disappearance of a Window in Mid-Flight
A shocking incident occurred in the UK when a window flew off an airplane during a flight. On the 4th of last month, an Airbus A321, flying from London to Florida, lost four cabin windows, two of which disappeared mid-flight.
A crew member noticed the cabin was colder and noisier than usual and decided to investigate.
Upon inspection, they discovered the window joints were flapping.
At the time, the plane had ascended to a minimum altitude of 14,000 feet (4267m). There were 11 crew members and 9 passengers on board. The crew member immediately reported the issue to the captain, who stopped ascending and reduced the plane’s speed.
Eventually, the plane returned to London Stansted Airport 36 minutes after takeoff. The cockpit showed no abnormal signs, and the cabin pressure was maintained normally. Thankfully, there were no casualties, which could have led to a dangerous situation.
Upon landing, an inspection revealed that four windows on the aircraft’s left side were damaged.
The inner and outer glass windows and rubber seals, part of the two window assemblies, were missing, with only the scratched glass remaining in place.
The UK Air Accident Investigation Branch explained that a film had been shot inside the aircraft for 4-5 hours the previous day. “It appears that the window was deformed due to the high-intensity lighting used and the heat generated by it,” adding, “If the window had broken at a higher pressure difference, it could have led to serious consequences.”
The UK Air Accident Investigation Branch announced that it would continue to investigate to understand the lighting characteristics used during the filming and find ways to manage such risks in the future.
② Similar Accidents in the Past
In 2018, a window on a Southwest Airlines flight cracked in mid-flight. The incident happened on Southwest Flight 957, en route from Chicago to New Jersey. A loud ‘pop’ was heard from the aircraft, and a crack appeared in one of the windows.
The plane made an emergency landing at the nearby Cleveland airport. Luckily, there were no casualties.
After the incident, the crew checked the other windows and emergency exits.
A Southwest Airlines spokesperson stated that the cabin pressure did not drop then. Southwest Airlines immediately investigated, revealing that one layer of the triple-layered window was damaged.
Just two weeks before this incident, another Southwest Airlines flight suffered an engine explosion that shattered a window, resulting in the death of one passenger.
Similar incidents of windows being torn off during flight have occurred in the past. On June 10, 1990, British Airways Flight 5390 was en route from Birmingham, UK, to Malaga, Spain, when the cockpit window shook violently before being ripped off. The co-pilot was able to stay in his seat thanks to his seatbelt, but the pilot was partially sucked out of the plane.
A flight attendant who noticed the situation rushed to hold onto the pilot’s legs while the co-pilot lowered the altitude and reduced the speed. The co-pilot ordered the flight attendant to hold on tightly, as the pilot could have been sucked into the engine. Another flight attendant also held onto the pilot’s legs for 20 minutes.
The plane made an emergency landing at a nearby airport. The pilot, whose life was saved thanks to the crew holding onto him, suffered facial frostbite and fractures in his arm and wrist. Fortunately, the pilot could return to duty five months after treatment.
③ Pressure Difference Can Lead to Serious Situations
If a window is torn off during flight, the pressure difference can lead to dangerous situations. The pressure difference between the inside and outside of the plane can cause strong winds inside the aircraft, strong enough to blow a person out potentially.
If the cabin pressure drops, oxygen masks will automatically drop down to the passengers. However, it can be challenging to survive at high altitudes with just an oxygen mask. Even if you stay in your seat, you can be injured by flying glass fragments and increased pressure.
However, airplane windows breaking or being torn off is not common. Airplane windows are made of three panels: hardened acrylic to withstand potential impacts and pressure during flight, heat-resistant polycarbonate, and regular glass for the inner panel. They are designed with sufficient strength and durability to withstand the impacts and pressure at high altitudes.
By. Kim Min Jae
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