A Japan domestic flight, operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA), was compelled to return to its departure point on Saturday due to a crack in the cockpit window. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft, Flight 1182, was en route to Toyama airport but had to make an unexpected return to Sapporo-New Chitose airport after the discovery of the crack.
According to an ANA spokesperson, the crack appeared in the outermost layer of the cockpit window. This window comprises four layers designed to ensure the safety and integrity of the aircraft. Despite the alarming situation, there were no injuries reported among the 59 passengers and six crew members on board.
The aircraft involved was not part of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet, which has recently been under scrutiny. Last week, an incident involving an Alaska Airlines jet, a model from the 737 MAX 9 series, experienced a cabin panel detachment mid-air, raising concerns about this particular model.
The spokesperson from ANA emphasized that the crack in the window did not affect the flight’s control or pressurisation systems, thereby not posing an immediate danger to those on board. However, the decision to return was made as a precautionary measure to ensure passenger and crew safety.
In a related development, the U.S. aviation regulator, on Friday, extended the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes indefinitely. This decision was made to allow for additional safety checks following recent incidents. Additionally, the regulator announced plans to tighten oversight of Boeing’s manufacturing and quality control processes.
