An investigation report reveals why a Titan Airways Airbus A321 Neo lost windows. The reason is filming that took place the day before the flight.
The news caused astonishment. In mid-October it became known that three windows were missing or loose after a Titan Airways Airbus A321 Neo flight. The source was reputable: the French investigative agency BEA, with reference to its British counterpart AAIB. But why does a two and a half year old jet lose windows?
The AAIB now provides the answer in a special report that it published on Friday (November 3rd). First of all, the authority explains what happened on the flight, which was a positioning flight from London Stansted to Orlando. The jet with the registration G-OATW was supposed to fly there for a multi-day charter mission. On board were three pilots, an engineer, a loadmaster, six members of the cabin crew and nine passengers who belonged to a tour operator and the airline.
Colder and louder than usual
After takeoff, some travelers found the cabin to be louder and colder than usual. When the plane climbed to over 3,000 meters, the loadmaster went to the back of the cabin, where noise was heard. He noticed a window on the left side of the jet whose seal was flapping in the airflow and what appeared to be a window that had slipped off.
The A321 Neo’s pressure systems still functioned normally and there were no warning messages in the cockpit. After the loadmaster’s report, the engineer and the third pilot looked at the damage. Then the decision was made: return to London. This, including landing, was accomplished without any problems after a flight time of 36 minutes.
Horizontal tailplane also damaged
When the plane was finally parked, the crew inspected it from the outside and found that two cabin window panes were missing and a third was loose. A destroyed exterior window was recovered during a routine runway inspection.
“Displaced inner pane and rubber seal” and “Missing window panes”. Image: AAIB
During a closer inspection it later became apparent that the fourth window also protruded slightly from the left side of the fuselage. Slight deformation of windows was noted on the right side. In addition, the horizontal stabilizer on the left side was damaged.
Lamps probably too close to the jet
The reason for all this is found the day before the incident. The A321 was used for filming in which the windows were illuminated from the outside with spotlights to simulate a sunrise. The high-power lamps were initially focused on the right side of the jet for about five and a half hours, then on the left for about four hours. The windows were damaged, but this was only noticed on the next flight.
The data on the lamps: 12,000 watts, minimum distance to illuminated objects ten meters, to flammable objects 1.5 meters, maximum surface temperature 200 degrees Celsius. Photos of the shooting suggest that the spotlights were only 6 to 9 meters away from windows that were damaged – apparently by heat.
Warning to aircraft operators
“Work is currently underway with the aircraft manufacturer and operator to fully understand the characteristics of the emitters used and how this risk can be managed in the future,” writes the AAIB. “Aircraft owners and operators should consider the hazards posed by such activities to minimize the risk of aircraft damage.”
You can read the entire AAIB special report open here as PDF.
2023-11-04 01:13:04
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