Titan Airways Airbus A321 departs London missing two windows

An investigation has looked into an aircraft that departed missing two windows. Photo / 123rf

Air accident investigators have revealed an aircraft departed from London last month with two missing window panes.

The Titan Airways Airbus A321 was flying from London Stansted Airport to Orlando International Airport, Florida, on October 4 but had to quickly turn around and fly back to London after the damage was discovered.

Four window panes were damaged and two were missing according to a report by the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

As the aircraft climbed to 4000 metres altitude, passengers complained of a loud noise in the cabin and cold temperatures.

The noise was “loud enough to damage your hearing”, according to the loadmaster, who was responsible for the transport of aerial cargo on the flight. They then spotted something “flapping in the airflow”, which was a window seal.

After inspecting the window, the crew made a call to return to Stansted Airport just 36 minutes after departure. Nine passengers and 11 crew were on board at the time. Fortunately, the cabin pressure was not impacted by the window damage, the AAIB bulletin stated.

It was only after landing and disembarking that the crew discovered the full extent of the damage, which included a missing window pane.

The damage was reportedly caused during a filming event on October 3. During the event, which lasted between four and five-and-a-half hours, high-powered lights were used, which caused “sustained thermal damage and distortion”, the AAIB bulletin read.

“External lights had been shone through the cabin windows to give the illusion of a sunrise,” it added.

AAIB plans to continue investigating the incident so they can better understand how it happened and how to avoid it.

“Work is ongoing with the aircraft manufacturer and operator to fully understand the properties of the lights used and how this risk can be managed in future,” the bulletin stated.

It urged aircraft owners and operators to consider the hazard posed by activities so they could minimise the risk of damage to aircraft.