An aircraft of this type (Airbus 321neo LR) had to return to London with missing windows Photo: Titan Airways
By Christopher Buhl
This incident is one of the experiences that every passenger on board an airplane can easily do without…
An extraordinary incident occurred on a charter flight from London to Orlando (US state of Florida): Shortly after take-off, while the aircraft was still climbing, the crew noticed “excessive cabin noise”. The Airbus of the airline Titan Airways then flew back to London to be on the safe side.
Back on the ground, the French aviation accident investigation authority (BEA) found massive damage to the Airbus 321neo LR (built at the German site in Finkenwerder): three windows were missing, three others were loose and in danger of falling out. It was also said that the left vertical stabilizer was damaged. How this came about was not initially clear. The BEA classified the incident as a “serious incident.”
However, the damage apparently had no impact on the flight behavior of the plane, and the crew also stayed cool during the return flight to London. The airline said the pilot did not declare an emergency and brought the plane safely back to the ground in Stansted: “The emergency services at the airport were not activated.”
Nevertheless, the British Transport Authority for the Investigation of Aviation Accidents (AAIB) is now also checking the incident, which occurred on October 4th. It was not initially known how many passengers were on board the plane.
At the time of the turnaround, the plane is said to have reached an altitude of 14,500 feet (more than 4,000 meters).
However, the condition of the aircraft is cause for concern. Because according to the portal, “Flight radar” and “PlanespottersThe plane is only two and a half years old – and was previously used as a VIP aircraft by the British government.