Boeing 737 with 65 aboard returns to Sapporo due to cockpit crack

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Japan’s ANA Boeing 737-800 flight to Toyama returns to Sapporo with 59 passengers, 6 crew after cockpit window crack. Safety of Boeing in question.

An All Nippon Airways flight en route to Toyama from Sapporo-New Chitose airport was rerouted back to its origin after the pilots noticed a crack in the cockpit window. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, was safely guided back to Sapporo with 59 passengers and six crew members on board, following the mid-flight discovery.

A representative from All Nippon Airways clarified that the crack appeared in the outer layer of the cockpit’s quadruple-layered windows and assured that it did not impact the plane’s navigational abilities or pressurization.

This incident occurs amidst heightened concerns over Boeing’s aircraft safety, following an event last week where a cabin panel separated from a new Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight. Consequently, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded certain Boeing 737 Max 9 planes for additional safety inspections.

The Boeing aircraft involved in the All Nippon Airways incident is not of the same model as those grounded, but it raises further questions about Boeing’s overall aircraft safety.

In a separate but related development, the U.S. aviation authority has prolonged the suspension of Boeing 737 Max 9 operations, necessitating further safety examinations. This decision follows an incident in which an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 lost part of its exterior but managed to land safely in Portland. All 177 passengers and crew on board were unharmed.

The extended grounding is partly due to reports that the Alaska Airlines aircraft experienced pressurization issues on several occasions before the incident, as mentioned by Jennifer Homendy of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The aircraft had also been restricted from performing extended over-water flights, according to a BBC report.

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