AN MD80 IN CLB EXPERIENCED A CABIN WINDOW OUTER PANE FAILURE.
Synopsis
AN MD80 IN CLB EXPERIENCED A CABIN WINDOW OUTER PANE FAILURE.
Narrative
WHILE FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND I WERE ON THE BEVERAGE CART; WE HEARD A LOUD 'POP' (A LOUD BANG). THE VIBRATION WAS FELT ON OUR FEET. I WENT TO THE COCKPIT AND SPOKE TO THE CAPT. HE SAID THERE WAS A LOT OF LUGGAGE ON THE ACFT AND IT WAS PROBABLY LUGGAGE SHIFTING. AFTER MOVING THE BEVERAGE CART ABOUT 3 ROWS; I CAUGHT; OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE; THE ACFT WINDOW WHICH APPEARED TO BE SLIGHTLY CRACKED. AFTER MOVING THE CART A LITTLE FURTHER FOR BETTER INSPECTION OF THE WINDOW; I NOTICED THE WINDOW WAS NOT ONLY CRACKED ALL THE WAY UP; BUT THE OUTER PANEL WINDOW WAS PROTRUDING OUT AND AWAY FROM THE ACFT. AT THIS POINT; IT WAS VERY NOISY; YOU COULD HEAR THE WIND TURB. I QUICKLY NOTIFIED THE CAPT OF THE SEVERITY OF THE WINDOW. I CAME BACK INTO THE CABIN. WE HAD ONLY ENOUGH EMPTY PAX SEATS TO MOVE PAX SEATED (AB SEATS ONLY) 2 ROWS FORWARD AND 2 ROWS AFT OF THE CRACKED WINDOW TO OTHER SEATS. THE BEVERAGE SVC WAS STOPPED; ALL CARTS WERE PUT AWAY; AND WE PREPARED THE CABIN FOR LNDG. (AFTER NOTIFYING THE CAPT OF THESE ACTIONS WE TOOK; HE QUICKLY AGREED AND TOLD US TO TAKE OUR JUMP SEATS; ASAP; AS HE FELT THE WINDOW COULD 'GO' AT ANY TIME AND THIS WOULD RESULTS IN A MASSIVE DECOMPRESSION.) THE CAPT HAD TO SLOWLY DECOMPRESS THE CABIN WHEN HE GOT DOWN TO 10000 FT. HIS DSCNT WAS VERY SLOW DUE TO THE FRAGILITY OF THE WINDOW. MOST PAX AND CREW MEMBERS EXPERIENCED PAIN IN THE EARS FOR THE DURATION OF ABOUT 40 MINS. WE DIVERTED AND LANDED IN ZZZ; US; WITHOUT INCIDENT. (AFTER MECHS INSPECTED THE WINDOW; THEY AGREED WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT THE FLT FINISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.