Plane flying to Florida took off with window panes missing

An aircraft en route to Orlando, Florida, was forced to return to London after discovering missing and damaged window panes, the U.K.’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch reported.

According to the report, an Airbus A321 had “several cabin windows” damaged during a filming event by “high power lights,” which were not identified until the aircraft was already airborne on its subsequent flight.

The bulletin highlighted potential risks, stating that more severe consequences might have occurred if the “window integrity was lost at higher differential pressure.”

The flight, carrying 11 crew members and nine passengers, departed from London Stansted Airport on its way to Orlando International Airport on October 4. Passengers noticed an unusual drop in temperature and increased noise after takeoff, signaling a potential issue.

An air crew member, upon investigation, identified a damaged window on the left side of the plane, noting a flapping window seal and a slipped-down windowpane. The crew halted the climb at 14,500 feet after confirming the issue.

Returning to Stansted, the aircraft landed safely within 36 minutes. Despite the window problems, the aircraft maintained normal pressurization throughout the flight.

Upon inspection post-landing, it was revealed that two windowpanes were missing, one was dislodged, and another protruded from the left side of the aircraft.

Investigators linked the damage to “thermal damage” caused by prolonged exposure to intense lighting during a filming event the previous day. Maxibrute 12 lights, used to simulate a sunrise inside the aircraft, were placed at a closer range than recommended, between 6 to 9 meters rather than the specified 10 meters.