A plane departing from Stansted Airport in London and heading to Florida experienced a shocking incident when it was discovered that two windowpanes were missing. The plane, operated by Titan Airways and used by luxury travel business TCS World Travel, had 11 crew members and nine passengers on board at the time of the incident on October 4. The issue was detected by a crew member, prompting the plane to return to the Essex airport.
According to a report in the Independent, the missing windowpanes were a result of high-powered lights used during a filming event. The lights were positioned near the aircraft for several hours to create the illusion of a sunrise. However, the lights were placed too close to the plane, between six and nine meters away, instead of the recommended minimum distance of 10 meters. This led to the damage and misalignment of the windowpanes.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) stated that the incident could have had more serious consequences. Upon examination, it was found that not only were two windowpanes missing, but the remaining two were also misaligned. The empty space between the missing windowpanes was filled with a scratch pane, a plastic piece to prevent passengers from touching the outer panes. The foam used to hold the windows in place was either melted or missing, and the windowpanes themselves appeared deformed and shrunken.
During the flight, all passengers were seated in the middle of the aircraft. After takeoff, a crew member noticed that the seal surrounding one of the windows was “flapping.” This observation prompted the decision to return to the airport, where the plane landed safely. Despite reaching an altitude of 14,500 feet, the cabin remained pressurized normally.
The incident highlights the potential dangers of using high-powered lights in close proximity to aircraft. The AAIB’s preliminary report emphasizes the importance of maintaining the recommended distance to prevent damage to the windows. Fortunately, in this case, the issue was detected in time, and the plane was able to return safely to the airport.
