Crack Found on Cockpit Window Forces Boeing 737 To Return to Airport in Japan

A Japanese domestic Boeing 737 airplane, operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA), was forced to return to its departure airport after a crack was observed in the cockpit window.

The incident occurred on Saturday while the aircraft, Flight 1182, was en route from Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport to Toyama Kitokito Airport, flying over Hakodate.

“The crack was not something that affected the flight’s control or pressurization,” an ANA spokesperson said, as reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Despite the crack being in the outermost of the four layers of the cockpit’s window, the decision was made to return to Sapporo as a precautionary measure. The aircraft landed safely back in Sapporo, and the 59 passengers and six crew members on board were unharmed.

Aviation expert John Strickland, speaking to the BBC, noted that such incidents, while not common, are not unheard of.

“These things do sometimes happen, something may have struck the window, for example a bird, a large hailstone, it’s not unheard of,” he said. Strickland also mentioned the possibility of a stress fracture due to wear and tear, but he emphasized that this is very rare.

This incident comes amid a series of recent events involving Boeing aircraft. Just eleven days prior, a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 collided with a Coast Guard aircraft in midair at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, resulting in a fiery crash. Additionally, eight days before the ANA incident, a plug-type passenger door fell off an Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX-9 airplane in midflight.

The Boeing Company has been under increased scrutiny from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the flying public, especially following the discovery of loose bolts and nuts in some of its 737 airplanes. This scrutiny intensified after the Alaska Airlines incident. Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun, in a webcast on January 9, acknowledged the company’s mistake and emphasized the need for transparency, accountability and safety.

“Our mistake,” Calhoun said, fighting tears.

Following these incidents, the FAA grounded every Boeing 737 MAX with plug doors on January 6 and launched an investigation into Boeing’s compliance with FAA standards on January 12.

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