Scare in this Airbus A321, operated by Titan Airways and used by TCS World Travel, an American luxury vacation company. A plane supposed to fly from London (United Kingdom) to Orlando (United States) had to turn back in mid-flight on October 4 after its passengers discovered that two windows were missing, as reported by our British colleagues at The Independent.
The aircraft, which was carrying three pilots, a mechanic, a stevedor, six cabin crew members and nine passengers, had already reached an altitude of nearly 3000,8 metres, when the loadmaster heard a noise "loud enough to damage hearing". He found that a gasket on a window was "swaying under the effect of the airflow", according to information from the British Air Accidents Investigation Directorate (AAIB), revealed on <> November.
A photograph showing the damaged portholes. United Kingdom Air Accident Investigation Directorate
'Thermal damage'
Thirty-six minutes after take-off, the crew decided to turn back. It was once on the ground at London Stansted Airport that he discovered that the outer windows of two windows, as well as their rubber seals, were missing. Only the scratch-resistant glass and a piece of plastic preventing passengers from touching the outside window were still in place. A third window was also damaged.
The incident could have had "far more serious" consequences, the AAIB said. The passengers could have lost consciousness if the plane had climbed higher, due to probable depressurization. According to a report by the organization, the portholes suffered "thermal damage and deformation." The cause was that powerful projectors used during a film shoot, which took place the day before the flight, were positioned too close to the aircraft. Ignited for more than five hours and directed at the aircraft, they would have weakened the A321's glass elements.
A photograph showing the spotlights pointed at the aircraft. United Kingdom Air Accident Investigation Directorate