Not your casual CineD title but an important topic in our opinion. As reported by the British AAIB (Air Accidents Investigation Branch), an Airbus A321 suffered severe Airbus window damage during flight and performed an emergency landing shortly after takeoff. Two windows flew off and one dislodged. Later inspection revealed the reason – exposure to intense power lights ahead of the flight. The intense lighting melted some key components and caused the incident. Luckily no one was injured. The incident occurred on the 4th of October 2023, at London Stansted Airport as a commercial Airbus A321 took to the sky. On board the Airbus were eleven crew members and nine passengers. As the aircraft gained altitude, the passengers reported unusually low temperatures. Quick assessment pointed to a missing window and the plane turned around for an emergency landing. Ground inspection reported airbus window damage – two missing windows and one dislodged. Missing and dislodged windows. Image credit: AAIB Airbus window damage – the weakest link The windows on an airplane have been a long-time weak spot in the aviation industry. The fact that they are transparent dictates that specific materials won’t always align with aircraft-grade alloys. Among the most famous cases involved the world’s first jet airliner, the British de Havilland Comet. First-gen risks As a tech-savvy audience, CineD readers are well aware of at least some instances involving various malfunctions in first-gen products. Innovation comes with a plethora of new challenges, and some are not as apparent as others....
Published By: CineD - Saturday, 18 November, 2023