A plane was forced to be diverted from its planned destination after the crew reported a crack in its windshield.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the plane was an Embraer ERJ-175 flown through Republic Airways. It took off from Miami International Airport and was heading for Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Saturday, Aug. 24. However, the plane was forced to land at Jackson International Airport around 6:05 p.m. local time.
“Commercial jet windshields multiple layers of glass,” the FAA explained in its report. “The FAA will investigate.”
The incident comes just a couple of months after Republic Airways Flight 3207 returned to and landed safely at Newark Liberty International Airport after that flight’s crew reported a cracked windshield. Another Embraer 175, the aircraft was heading to Greenville-Sparatanburg International Airport in South Carolina from Newark Liberty International Airport.
United Airlines experienced a similar incident earlier this year when one of its flights had to be diverted from Dulles International Airport to Denver International Airport due to a cracked windshield.
In a statement provided to Fox Business, United Airlines shared the diversion stemmed from a “maintenance issue.” The plane was a Boeing 737-800 and was coming from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
166 passengers were traveling on the aircraft, along with seven crew members. “After safely landing, customers deplaned normally and a plane change occurred,” United confirmed.
What Can Cause Cracks, Other Damages to Plane Windshields?
According to C&L Aviation Group, there are numerous ways that a plane windshield can crack or have other damages.
“Aircraft windshields are regularly inspected for issues that may limit visibility or potentially compromise the windshield,” the organization stated. “Some issues are acceptable or require repair, depending on their allowable limits. You may have questions about what these limits are, how to mitigate potential issues, and what to do if the windshield fails inspection.”
Aircraft windshields are notably made of laminated layers of glass, acrylic, polycarbonate plastics, or a combination of those materials, bonded by polymeric material. Among the causes of windshield cracking are environmental hazards.
“Environmental factors may cause damage,” C&L then continued. “For instance, hail can crack the windshield, or volcanic ash, lingering in the upper atmosphere, can cause abrasions to the windshield’s surface.”
Other issues also include moisture between layers, bird strikes, and bibbles between lawyers. “While some damage is beyond human control, other damage can be mitigated by following manufacturer guidelines,” C&L further explained. “If issues materialize, review the AMM to determine the next steps, such as repairing small chips or scratches to prevent potential windshield failures.”