Japan: Passenger plane turns back to airport after cockpit window crack found mid-air
All Nippon Airways Flight 1182 was headed to Toyama before it was forced to return to the Sapporo-New Chitose airport.
Saturday 13 January 2024 15:58, UK
A passenger plane has returned to its departure airport in Japan after a crack was found on the cockpit window of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft mid-air.
All Nippon Airways Flight 1182 was on a domestic journey heading to Toyama airport but then headed back to the Sapporo-New Chitose airport.
The crack was found on the outermost of four layers of windows surrounding the cockpit, a spokesperson for the Japanese airline said.
"The crack was not something that affected the flight's control or pressurisation," the spokesperson said.
No injuries were reported among 59 passengers and six crew, the spokesperson added.
Boeing has come under scrutiny after a 737 MAX 9 airplane operated by Alaska Airlines was forced to an emergency landing after a cabin panel broke off in mid-flight on 5 January.
Six crew members were seriously injured after it tore off around six minutes into the flight to Ontario, California.
It wasn't until two days later that Bob Sauer, a science teacher, reported something "gleaming white" underneath the trees in his garden.
It turned out to be the mid-cabin door plug which, when he realised, made his heart "start beating a little fast".
The panel remained undamaged and was taken to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) lab in Washington for further examination.
The US aviation regulator extended the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes indefinitely on Friday.
It said they would undergo new safety checks as it announced it would tighten oversight of Boeing itself.
The All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight was not a MAX.
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Boeing's latest statement said: "As operators conduct the required inspections, we are staying in close contact with [Alaska Airlines] and will help address any and all findings.
"We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards. We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers."
Boeing's MAX 8 planes were grounded globally in 2019 after two fatal crashes.