Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Japan After Window Cracks on Boeing Aircraft

The crack was found in the cockpit about 40 minutes into the flight.

By Emily Rella Jan 15, 2024

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A crack in a cockpit window was found on a Boeing 737 aircraft over the weekend after the plane was airborne.

All Nippon Airways said on Monday that airline crew noticed the crack on one of the six cockpit windows about 40 minutes into the flight.

The plane immediately returned to Sapporo-New Chitose Airport, where it landed safely. The plane was set to travel to Toyama airport, further inland in Japan.

Related: ‘Grateful to be Alive’: Passengers Recall Harrowing Moment Airplane Door Flew Off Alaska Airlines Flight

The Japanese airline said no injuries were reported for the 65 passengers and crew members.

“The crack was not something that affected the flight’s control or pressurization,” a spokesperson for the airline said, per Reuters.

The cause of the break is currently under investigation.

This is the second major incident for Boeing this month after an Alaska Airlines flight was forced to emergency land when an emergency panel blew out mid-flight.

Related: Plane Takes Off With Broken Windows, Makes Emergency Landing

The plane models, however, are different. The aircraft involved in the Alaska Airlines fiasco was a Boeing 737 Max 9, which has now been indefinitely grounded by the Federal Aviation Agency.

Boeing was down over 17.6% in just a one-month period as of Monday morning.

A crack in a cockpit window was found on a Boeing 737 aircraft over the weekend after the plane was airborne.

All Nippon Airways said on Monday that airline crew noticed the crack on one of the six cockpit windows about 40 minutes into the flight.

The plane immediately returned to Sapporo-New Chitose Airport, where it landed safely. The plane was set to travel to Toyama airport, further inland in Japan.

Related: ‘Grateful to be Alive’: Passengers Recall Harrowing Moment Airplane Door Flew Off Alaska Airlines Flight

The Japanese airline said no injuries were reported for the 65 passengers and crew members.

“The crack was not something that affected the flight’s control or pressurization,” a spokesperson for the airline said, per Reuters.

The cause of the break is currently under investigation.

This is the second major incident for Boeing this month after an Alaska Airlines flight was forced to emergency land when an emergency panel blew out mid-flight.

Related: Plane Takes Off With Broken Windows, Makes Emergency Landing

The plane models, however, are different. The aircraft involved in the Alaska Airlines fiasco was a Boeing 737 Max 9, which has now been indefinitely grounded by the Federal Aviation Agency.

Boeing was down over 17.6% in just a one-month period as of Monday morning.

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Emily Rella

Senior News Writer
Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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