Alitalia 772ER windscreen cracks, divs to SNN

[MarkD]

US-bound plane lands safely after emergency

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1015166&issue_id=9534

AN ITALIAN airliner with 305 people on board landed safely at Shannon Airport last night after it declared an emergency off the Irish Coast.

The Alitalia Boeing 777-200 ER was en-route from Rome to John F Kennedy Airport in New York when the pilot reported at 4.30pm that the cockpit windscreen had developed a fracture.

The airliner turned around and headed for Shannon as rescue and emergency services went on full alert.

Coast Guard helicopters and lifeboats were put on standby as Shannon Airport fire and ambulance services turned out and Gardai prepared to seal off the airport.

All 305 passengers safely disembarked the twin engined Boeing after it landed safely at the airport at 5.47pm. The plane is one of a new fleet of 777s which only recently started daily flights from Rome to JFK on March 1

[Taildragger67]

Was on an AZ 742 back in 1991 which had a windscreen crack around TOD into BKK from SYD. Delayed us a couple of hours while they ferretted around & got a new one fitted. No-one complained about the delay...

[drag required]

it must have been a severe fracture to declare an emergency, most craks fracture the first pane only and is not that big a deal.... avoid icing conditions and just go on.

[Waldo]

Sorry but this is a non story. I ve had at least two windscreens crack over the past 20 years. They are an on condition item and will go sooner or later. Manual sayes you can fly with the outer pane cracked anyway!!

[hirsute]

I defy anyone who has experienced the monstrous bang followed by ominous creaking that a failing windscreen can make, to resist the urge to descend, reduce the cabin diff and get on the ground! (after tightening your shoulder straps).

I had one go at FL310 in bright moonlight - very pretty it looked as I recall.

[Rumble]

Had two in two years on the CRJ 200. One at 220 in descent one at cruise @ 370.

No probs with diff; nor should there be. There are three panes & you can tell which one it is using qrh descriptions. No structural implications at all.

when it was my front one had to get the FO to land it coz I couldn't see out very well (could've managed if essential).

no deal really.

[Anthony Carn]

It certainly makes you jump when one goes ! Big(gish) sharp bang , plus the visual effect of a sudden cobweb of cracked glass right in front of your face !!!.

Not supposed to be a big deal, though carrying on across the pond for many hours would probably be best avoided, IMHO.



Maybe certain HALE & hearty pilots would've carried on, who knows ? :rolleyes:

[radeng]

Isn't this one of those cases of the better part of valour....?Especially as it was supposed to be a new 777?
Boeing aren't infallible - as witness the 25 amp breaker in the 744 when it should have been a 2.5amp - so there could have been an assembly error.

[Soulman]

Hey Guys,

Found a picture of the aircraft during the emergency landing at Shannon. Although it doesn't actually show the windscreen, still thought I'd post it.

Alitalia 772 @ Shannon (http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=122930)

Cheers,

Souls.

P.S And of course, photo copyrights apply! (Not mine personally, but those of the photgrapher - ivan22)

[Snowballs]

Perhaps inexperience, or not really knowing or understanding systems.
Have experienced several, and although the initial reaction is to rapidly descend, it's no big deal. Sit on your hands and do nothing initially until the head clears, albeit in a few seconds which may seem like a lifetime, knee jerk reactions usually cause more problems than the problem itself ...... IMHO :8

Years ago .... on another type, we were taught to put a pencil on the crack, then look at the crack / pencil sideways. It would usually show the crack is in the outer pane of the multi layer glass. If it is in the inner pane then perhaps you really do have a problem (highly unlikely)