What happened
On July 13, 2019, a Learjet 45 (registration LV-IKB) was conducting a general aviation transport flight from Silvio Pettirossi International Airport to Ministro Pistarini International Airport. While cruising at flight level 430, the crew identified a crack in the external layer of the aircraft's windshield.
As a precautionary measure, the flight crew initiated a descent from FL430 down to FL100. During this descent, the crew did not need to deploy oxygen masks. The aircraft continued its flight and landed safely at its destination airport without further incident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the windshield and the crew's response to the identified defect. Authorities reviewed flight progress strips, flight plans, and meteorological data. The investigation also included an examination of the aircraft's maintenance records, including the logbooks, and the functionality of the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT), which had been activated during the event.