View Full Version : Airline diverts due to cracked window
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2018/05/02/southwest-airlines-flights-diverts-because-cracked-window/573435002/Keldy Ortiz and Dave Sheingold, NorthJersey.com Published 12:52 p.m. ET May 2, 2018 Updated 3:54 p.m. ET May 2, 2018
A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Newark Wednesday morning diverted to Cleveland because of a broken window, a passenger said. "On my way to NJ for work and #Southwest957 gets a window crack," said Alejandro Aguina on Twitter. "Only outside crack so we're all safe." The plane carried 73 passengers at the time of the landing, the airline said in a statement. There were no injuries reported.
Southwest in a statement said no emergency landing was requested. The plane was taken out of service "for maintenance review."
"Only outside crack so we're all safe."
Anyone have a cross section diagram of a 737 window? And which layers withstand pressure differential?
Outer pane = non-structural (rigid, hard, scratch resistant surface).
Thin conductive layer (window heat)
Thick vinyl layer (prevents the shatter of a broken window if the inner pane breaks
Inner pane = structural (holds pressurisation loads)
hans brinker
3rd May 2018, 07:41
Outer pane = non-structural (rigid, hard, scratch resistant surface).
Thin conductive layer (window heat)
Thick vinyl layer (prevents the shatter of a broken window if the inner pane breaks
Inner pane = structural (holds pressurisation loads)
this was a pax window
ThreeThreeMike
3rd May 2018, 10:15
Outer pane = non-structural (rigid, hard, scratch resistant surface).
Thin conductive layer (window heat)
Thick vinyl layer (prevents the shatter of a broken window if the inner pane breaks
Inner pane = structural (holds pressurisation loads)
.
A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Newark Wednesday morning diverted to Cleveland because of a broken window, a passenger said. "On my way to NJ for work and #Southwest957 gets a window crack," said Alejandro Aguina on Twitter. "Only outside crack so we're all safe."
NSEU, thanks for providing that description. News reports indicate the aircraft remained pressurized despite the cracked outer pane. The subsequent descent and landing was completed without further incident. I hope an engineer forum member will provide details of the materials used for the outer pane and experiences with similar failures and their causes. I imagine UV exposure and pressurization cycles weaken the material.
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Passenger Mr. Aquina deserves credit for his dispassionate description of the event. Cell phone video taken inside the aircraft revealed several passengers were quite terrified by what was essentially a non-event.
Highway1
3rd May 2018, 12:23
Outer pane - holds the pressure difference
Inner pane - should hold the pressure difference if the outer pane fails
Scratch panel - purely decorative to protect the inner pane from bored passengers.
DaveReidUK
3rd May 2018, 12:50
NSEU, thanks for providing that description.
Yes, it will come in handy when we next have a thread on flight deck transparencies.
Outer pane - holds the pressure difference
Inner pane - should hold the pressure difference if the outer pane fails
Scratch panel - purely decorative to protect the inner pane from bored passengers.
Not forgetting that little hole drilled in the inner pane ...
But when the pilots window fails due to improper assembly . . . it takes a miracle -
True story- and an excellent re-creation follows
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_5390
re-creation follows
FS2004 - Blowout (British Airways Flight 5390) - YouTube