A U.S.-bound plane took off from London last month with four damaged window panes, including two that were completely missing, according to U.K. air accident investigators.
No one was injured by the window malfunctions, which appear to have been caused by high-power lights used in a film shoot, the U.K.’s Air Accident Investigation Branch reported in a special bulletin published Nov. 4.
The missing windows weren’t discovered until the plane was climbing at an altitude of 13,000 feet, according to the AAIB report.
“Several passengers recalled that after takeoff the aircraft cabin seemed noisier and colder than they were used to,” investigators wrote. A crew member walked towards the back of the aircraft, where he spotted a window seal flapping on the left side of the aircraft.
Wait wouldn’t there also be a lot more pressure that you would feel from the suction of the missing window or would that only be felt by people at the back of the plane?
From the photo it looks like the inner window panes were still intact. That would be enough to keep the plane pressurised, I’m guessing. For a while at least.
Those windows are really thin plastic and are supported by the plastic trim and panels on the aircraft interior. They are highly unlikely to support much pressurization. Air would have escaped around them via under the panels and through panel seams.
Sure, but the engine bleed air would have been constantly replacing it, so it’s plausible the cabin altitude lagged behind the aircraft altitude.
Less pressure, pretty sure, and if the lowering was gradual enough, you might not feel it. Dunno for sure.
Cabin can’t be pressurized off the windows are open, silly.
Planes have multiple panes in each window. Only the outside pane was missing. There wasn’t a giant hole in the side of the plane. Give some credit to passengers at least, they would have noticed a literal hole in the plane when they sat down.
Silly.
That makes so much more sense. Thank you. Having a literal missing window didn’t sound right.
Oh nice! Thanks for clearing that up for me, I am indeed a silly goat commenting when I first wake up lol
Not with the windows missing the whole time and at 13,000 feet.