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Title: | Windshield failure in flight, Airbus A320-212, G-DACR, 28 April 1996 |
Micro summary: | The captain's windshield on this Airbus A320 cracked while in cruise. |
Event Time: | 1996-04-28 at 1345 UTC |
File Name: | 1996-04-28-UK.pdf |
Publishing Agency: | Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) |
Publishing Country: | United Kingdom |
Report number: | EW/C96/4/12 |
Pages: | 2 |
Diversion Airport: | Gatwick Airport, London, England |
Site of event: | West abeam Chateaudun VOR, France |
Departure: | Birmingham International Airport, West Midlands, England |
Destination: | Malaga Airport, Malaga, Spain |
Airplane Type(s): | Airbus A320-212 |
Flight Phase: | Cruise |
Registration(s): | G-DACR |
Operator(s): | Airtours International |
Type of flight: | Revenue |
Occupants: | 187 |
Fatalities: | 0 |
Serious Injuries: | 0 |
Minor/Non-Injured: | 187 |
Other Injuries: | 0 |
Diverted to: | Gatwick Airport, London, England |
Executive Summary: | The aircraft was operating a flight from Birmingham to Malaga. Whilst in cruise flight in clear smooth air at Flight Level (FL) 330, Mach 0.78, the Commander's windscreen cracked, with multiple cracks around three sides. At about the same time, the ECAM amber warning 'ANTI-ICE L WINDSHIELD' appeared. The cabin pressurisation system remained normal throughout. The commander could not be certain which layers of laminate were cracked so he initiated a PAN call to ATC, advised them of the problem and requested a slow descent to FL100, which was carried out. The aircraft had sufficient fuel onboard to enable a diversion to London Gatwick Airport, where the aircraft landed uneventfully at 1441 hrs. The weather conditions remained good throughout with no icing conditions encountered. The manufacturer's Flight Crew Operating Manual (FCOM) contained an "Abnormal & Emergency" Procedure for such an event. This indicated that in the event of a cracked window,"the maximum Flight Level is restricted to FL230 to obtain 5 psi differential without excessive cabin altitude and resultant EXCESS CABIN ALT warning". This section of the FCOM was not consulted by the crew for the descent. |
Learning Keywords: | Consequence - Damage - Airframe or fuselage |
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