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A United Airlines aircraft had to change course and land in Denver during the flight because of a cracked windshield.
According to a statement from The Independent, the Federal Aviation Administration reported that a plane en route to Washington DC on Sunday had to divert to Denver because of a crack in the windshield.
The plane took off from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and was scheduled to land at Dulles International Airport. However, it was redirected to Denver International Airport in Colorado, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The organization stated that United Airlines Flight 1627 successfully landed at approximately 1:10pm in the local time zone.
A representative from United Airlines informed The Independent that the flight was redirected because of a “maintenance problem.”
The airline reported that following a safe landing, passengers exited the plane in a typical manner and a transfer to a new plane took place. The flight left Denver at approximately 3 p.m. MT and arrived at Dulles Airport.
United Airlines reported that a total of 166 passengers and seven crew members were on board the aircraft before boarding a Boeing 737-900 bound for Dulles.
The FAA also stated that cracks can occur on all types of airplanes and are typically found on the outer glass pane, which acts as a shield for the inner structural components.
It was also stated that the windshield is made up of several layers of tempered glass and other substances.
The plane that was redirected was a United Airlines Boeing 737-800, which is not the same as the Boeing 737 Max 9 model. The Max 9 model gained attention recently when one of its planes, used for an Alaska Airlines flight, experienced a mid-flight door plug blowout.
On January 5th, a frightening event took place during flight 1282. The flight had taken off from Portland, Oregon and was headed towards Ontario, California when a door plug suddenly blew off the plane, causing a large hole to appear.
According to court documents, the plane was at an altitude of approximately 16,000 feet when the plug suddenly blew out. Despite no serious injuries reported, the passengers have taken legal action against Boeing, claiming to have experienced shock, terror, and confusion during the chaotic flight.
Several days prior to this event, another alarming situation involving aircrafts took place in Japan. A Japan Airlines flight collided with a smaller Japan Coast Guard Aircraft, resulting in the deaths of five individuals.
On January 2nd, a passenger jet caught fire and all 379 individuals on board were able to evacuate. Tragically, five out of the six Coast Guard members on board lost their lives while preparing for takeoff.
Just two weeks later, two aircrafts collided on a runway at New Chitose Airport in Japan. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries.
In the United States, six individuals sustained injuries when an American Airlines flight was forced to make a rough landing in Hawaii on Saturday.
Source: independent.co.uk