ANA Boeing 737-800 Flight Returns to Sapporo After Cockpit Window Crack Detected

South Africa’s Satori News Agency reports a concerning incident involving a domestic flight of Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA), which had to return to its departure airport due to a cracked cockpit window. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, was midair on its way to Toyama airport when the issue was detected, prompting an immediate return to the Sapporo-New Chitose airport.

Upon discovery, the crack, which was found on the outermost layer of the cockpit window, prompted action from the flight crew in accordance with safety protocols. Despite this unforeseen challenge, the pilot managed to safely return the plane without any injuries among the passengers and crew, totalling 59 and six respectively.

Remarkably, this is not an isolated Boeing aircraft incident. Just a week prior, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 faced a blowout, resulting in a dramatic return to the Portland International Airport after initially reaching an altitude of 16,000 feet. Although the situations were different, the similar timing has undoubtfully increased scrutiny on the aircraft manufacturer, Boeing.

Currently, all 737 MAX 9 planes are grounded as per the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)'s directive, following the Alaska Airlines occurrence. The FAA has committed to a thorough investigation and will not lift the grounding until it is convinced that the 737 MAX 9 model meets all safety requirements. The FAA's caution follows the fatal crashes involving the same model in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019, which collectively took the lives of 346 people.

As Boeing addresses the various concerns brought to light by the recent incidents, the company has expressed its readiness to fully cooperate with investigations and has pledged to support any actions that improve quality and safety. With the 737 Max jets having a troubled history of groundings, this latest sequence of events adds pressure on Boeing to ensure their fleet's safety.

Boeing's 737-800 model, deployed by ANA, is among the most popular in the world for short to medium-haul flights. The recent incident, although not as severe as the technical flaws implicated in the MAX crashes, serves as another reminder that constant vigilance and strict adherence to safety protocols remain crucial in the aviation industry.