Beijing Capital Airlines flight JD421 flying from China to Vietnam made an emergency landing after cracks appeared in window. The plane was bound from eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou to Nha Trang on Vietnam’s coast before making the emergency landing an hour later. The incident occurred just 2 weeks after another airliners cockpit window broke during mid-flight in the country.
The Airbus A321 with 211 onboard departed Hangzhou at 3:45pm after a two-hour delay and landed back at the airport at 5:25pm. In-flight passengers stated that many of them were terrified and many of children were scared and crying.
Head of aviation for Beijing Capital Airlines defended the statement of some passengers who claimed that the cockpit window was broken instead cracks had appeared in a window but explanatory note provided to passengers only stated that it was ‘mechanical failure’.
Passengers were given 400 Yuan (US$60) as compensation and some of them refused to board alternative flight as they considered the compensation was too low and airline didn’t offer an apology.
The incident is third window-related incident on plane. On May 14, Sichuan Airlines with 128 onboard made an emergency landing in southwest China when the cockpit window broke at altitude of 32000 feet partially sucking co-pilot. In April, a woman died after being partially sucked out of a Southwest Airlines as flying shrapnel from an engine explosion broke a window in the Boeing 737 flight with 144 passengers on-board.
