A domestic All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight in Japan was forced to turn back to its departure airport after a crack was discovered on the cockpit window during the flight. The incident, although not serious, could have potentially posed a danger if left unfixed, according to an aviation expert. The crack appeared in the outermost layer of the window, one of four layers surrounding the cockpit. Luckily, there were no injuries reported among the 59 passengers and six crew members on board.
The flight, ANA NH1182, was en route from Sapporo in Hokkaido to Toyama on Japan’s main island, Honshu. The Boeing 737 aircraft landed safely back at Sapporo’s New Chitose airport at approximately 12:10 p.m. local time. A spokesperson for ANA reassured that the crack did not affect the flight’s control or pressurization. The airline arranged alternative flights for the passengers while the cause of the crack remains unknown.
This incident involving a Boeing 737 comes on the heels of another incident in which a cabin panel fell off an Alaska Airlines plane mid-air, leading to the grounding of all Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft by the US aviation regulator, the FAA. However, it is important to note that the ANA flight was not a Boeing 737 MAX 9, but an earlier version that is not considered old.
The safety of passengers and crew remains a top priority, and aviation experts are committed to investigating the cause of the cockpit window crack to prevent future incidents. With the increasing number of such events, it is crucial for airlines and regulators to ensure the well-being of travelers by implementing strict maintenance protocols and conducting thorough inspections of all aircraft.
