Egyptair has become the latest airline to be disrupted by issues with Boeing aircraft after a New Jersey-bound flight was diverted to Dublin Airport, Republic of Ireland, midway over the Atlantic Ocean after a crack was found in the aircraft’s cockpit window. The worrying incident comes just over a week after an ANA-operated Boeing aircraft was forced to return to its departure airport for the same reason.
Egyptair Flight Diverted In Worrying Mid-Air Incident
Egyptair Flight MS987 was forced to make a mid-flight diversion over the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday when the flight crew became aware of a crack in the cockpit window of their Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner whilst en route to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), USA.
The flight crew on board the scheduled flight from Cairo International Airport (CAI), Egypt, noted a crack in the cockpit window at around 7.5 hours into the 11-hour flight, just as the aircraft was making its way over the Atlantic Ocean.
The aircraft was given initial clearance by air traffic control to land at Shannon Airport (SNN)—an oft-used diversion airport in the Republic of Ireland—where the emergency services were placed on high alert. Communication difficulties owing to poor radio coverage, however, ultimately led the aircraft to be diverted to Dublin Airport after a mayday (alert) was declared by the crew.
Flight MS987 landed at Dublin Airport at about 11:10 a.m. on Saturday, where airport fire and rescue crews met the aircraft and engineers were on hand to carry out inspections and determine the cause of the crack. The aircraft landed without incident and no injuries were reported among the 287 passengers and crew.
A substitute Boeing 787 Dreamliner departed Dublin Airport at 10:36 a.m. on Sunday morning and arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport at 12:07 p.m. (local time).
Boeing’s Safety Record Thrust Into The Spotlight Once Again
The Egyptair flight diverted over the weekend is unfortunately not an isolated incident, with passengers flying with Japanese airline ANA being disrupted by a similar fault just a week earlier. On Saturday 13th January, a domestic ANA flight was forced to return to its departure airport after the flight crew found a crack in the aircraft’s cockpit window. The aircraft involved in this particular incident was a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, and fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Only a week before was Boeing’s safety record brought into question when Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 suffered a rapid decompression shortly after take-off from Portland International Airport (PDX), USA, leaving an enormous hole in the aircraft’s fuselage and forcing the aircraft to make a dramatic return to its departure airport. The incident led to the indefinite grounding of all Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft, with investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continuing.
Although without incident, the latest news raises further concerns about Boeing’s safety record and points to systemic failure in the aviation manufacturer’s production and maintenance practices. The pursuit of profit must not come at the expense of the safety of passengers and airline employees. Airline manufacturers must heed warnings from recent events and act on the findings of investigations to prevent future, avoidable catastrophes.
Were you caught up in the recent Flight MS987 diversion? Are you worried about the recent incidents involving Boeing aircraft? Let us know in the comments.
