Flight Departs Unaware of Damaged Window Panes: Crew Overlooks Critical Issue

Last month, UK air accident investigators reported that an Airbus A321 aircraft departed from London Stansted Airport with four window panes that were damaged, two of which were missing. On October 4, while en route to Orlando International Airport in Florida, the damage was detected after takeoff. It was believed to have been caused by high-powered lights used during a filming event that took place the day before. There were a total of nine passengers and 11 crew members onboard the plane.

The

Increased cabin noise

states that the aircraft, according to a special bulletin from the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), reached an altitude of at least 14,000 feet before it was turned around. Shortly afterwards, the plane safely landed back at Stansted Airport.

One of the damaged windows from the aircraft, which was turned around after the loadmaster began investigating "increased cabin noise."

The report, released on November 4, provides a detailed account of the incident, stating that if the "window integrity" had been compromised at higher differential pressure, the consequences could have been even more severe.

Passengers remarked that the aircraft seemed louder and colder than their usual experience after departing from Stansted Airport.

As the plane ascended and the seatbelt signs were turned off, the loadmaster, who had also observed heightened cabin noise, made their way towards the rear of the aircraft. They then discovered a window on the left side of the cabin with a flapping window seal affected by the airflow.

The loadmaster, who described the cabin noise as "loud enough to damage your hearing" informed the cabin crew and also went to the flight deck to let the commander know.

Ongoing investigation

The aircraft had taken off from Stansted, the fourth largest airport in the UK,and had climbed up to 14,000 feet before it was turned back.

The crew decided to halt the plane's ascent and decrease airspeed at 14,000 feet, even though there were no abnormal signs, for the purpose of examining the window with the assistance of an engineer and the third pilot.

After inspecting the window, it was decided that the aircraft should return to Stansted, according to the report.

The passengers were instructed by the cabin crew to stay in their seats and keep their seatbelts securely fastened. They were also reminded about the availability of oxygen masks in case they were needed.

The full extent of the damage to the aircraft wasnt discovered until it was back on the ground.

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The flight crew began descending and the aircraft returned to Stansted Airport shortly after. According to the bulletin, the entire flight duration was 36 minutes.

Once the passengers had disembarked and the plane was parked and powered off, the crew conducted an external inspection of the aircraft. They discovered that two cabin window panes were absent, and a third pane had become displaced.

During a routine runway inspection, a broken outer pane was discovered, along with an additional window protruding from the left side of the fuselage. The bulletin states that these four windows were located next to each other, just aft of the left overwing exit.

The AAIB is investigating the incident further to gain a comprehensive understanding of the properties of the lights employed and to determine how to effectively address this risk in future situations.

CNN has contacted the AAIB for further comment.