Boeing 737 Forced To Turn Back In Japan After Crack Found In Cockpit Window

An All Nippon Airways passenger plane in Japan was forced to return to its departure airport on Saturday after the cockpit window was found to be cracked, an airline spokesperson said.

The flight returned to the city of Sapporo in Hokkaido without issue after the crack was discovered on the outermost of the glass’ four layers. Cabin pressure within the Boeing 737-800 remained normal throughout the flight, the spokesperson said.

“The safety of our passengers and flight crew is our priority and we apologize for the inconvenience,” the airline, which is Japan’s largest, said in a statement shared with HuffPost. “None of the other aircraft in the fleet are affected.”

Planes for Japanese airline All Nippon Airways are seen in Tokyo.

RICHARD A. BROOKS via Getty Images

Aviation expert John Strickland told the BBC that window cracks like this one are “not unheard of,” and that it could have been caused by something striking the glass, like a bird or a piece of hail.

“You might occasionally get a stress fracture too, from wear and tear,” Strickland said, “but that’s very rare.”

The plane is a different model from the Boeing 737 MAX 9, which suffered a mid-air scare earlier this month.

Part of the fuselage on one of the Boeing planes blew out while the craft was flying over Oregon on Jan. 5. A subsequent inspection of the plane found loose bolts and other “installation issues” on some of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets.

The Federal Aviation Administration as a result extended its grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes indefinitely on Friday so further safety checks can be performed. It also said it will tighten its oversight of Boeing.

Boeing on Monday announced that it will incorporate additional inspections into the 737 planes’ build process to ensure the planes’ safety. These inspections will include independent reviews by outsiders.

The recent scare made it “clear that we are not where we need to be,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal said in a message to employees.

“We are taking immediate actions to bolster quality assurance and controls across our factories,” he said.

Support HuffPostThe Stakes Have Never Been Higher

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.

Our News, Politics and Culture teams invest time and care working on hard-hitting investigations and researched analyses, along with quick but robust daily takes. Our Life, Health and Shopping desks provide you with well-researched, expert-vetted information you need to live your best life, while HuffPost Personal, Voices and Opinion center real stories from real people.

Help keep news free for everyone by giving us as little as $1. Your contribution will go a long way.

As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the very foundations of our democracy are at stake. A vibrant democracy is impossible without well-informed citizens. This is why HuffPost’s journalism is free for everyone, not just those who can afford expensive paywalls.

We cannot do this without your help. Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $1 a month.

As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the very foundations of our democracy are at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a vibrant democracy is impossible without well-informed citizens. This is why we keep our journalism free for everyone, even as most other newsrooms have retreated behind expensive paywalls.

Our newsroom continues to bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes on one of the most consequential elections in recent history. Reporting on the current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly — and we need your help.

Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $1 a month.

Support HuffPost

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : The Huffington Post – https://www.huffpost.com/entry/boeing-737-all-nippon-airways-window-crack_n_65a53e80e4b07bd6950daa1c