In a newly released special bulletin, the UK’s Air Accident Investigation Branch says that damage to a Titan Airways A321neo’s windows was the result of heat generated by high powered film lamps used during a project the day prior to the incident flight. The high powered lamps led to deformation of the window pane and melting of the window seal.
Incident flight
The day after the film shoot, G-OATW was scheduled to position from London to Orlando with only crew onboard. The flight departed London’s Stansted Airport at 12:15 local time. Shortly after passing 10,000 feet the loadmaster on board was walking through the cabin and noticed a dramatic increase in cabin noise. They located the source of the noise as a dislodged window pane aft of the over wing exit.
After informing the pilots, the aircraft stopped climbing having reached a maximum altitude of 14,500 feet and the crew prepared a return to Stansted. The aircraft remained properly pressurized throughout the flight.
After landing
The aircraft landed back at Stansted after 36 minutes in the air, vacating the runway without assistance. A post-flight inspection revealed damage to the three windows on the left side of the aircraft aft of the over wing exit.
Only the damage to one of the windows was visible during flight, but the post-flight inspection revealed two missing window panes and a damaged third window pane as well. A fourth window pane was notice protruding from the surface of the fuselage.
Upon removal of the sidewall, investigators noted melted foam liners on the affected windows.
Damage to the left leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer was noted as well. Investigators found acrylic in the puncture, consistent with a window pane.
The investigation continues as the AAIB and French BEA will work to determine the precise series of events that led to the damaged areas of the windows and how to safely mitigate risks due to high-powered lights in the future. This incident, however, is not the first time a window has been melted by high-powered film lighting.
AAIB issues final report
The UK AAIB has issued its final report on the incident, with findings consistent with its preliminary report. High-intensity halogen lamps caused deformation of the acrylic windows leading to breakaway and dislodgment when the aircraft took off from London. The report goes into some depth on the heat absorption properties of the windows. It also notes other instances of hear damage to aircraft windows due to film lighting, including one A321 and four 787s.
Images courtesy UK AAIB special notice unless otherwise noted. Featured image © William Pierre.
