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NTSB Issues Report on Boeing Defective Aircraft Windshields

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a report about a defective aircraft windshield fire that broke out in the cockpit of a Boeing United Airlines jet last year.  According to the report, similar such hazards exist in other Boeing aircraft used by other airlines.

The fire broke out in May 2010 on a United Airlines Boeing 737 jet on its way to Los Angeles from New York.  Fortunately, the captain was able to use fire extinguishers to put out the flames.  However, the inner pane of the captain’s windshield cracked just before the jet, which had on 112 people on board, landed at Dulles International Airport in Washington DC.

However, according to the National Transportation Safety Board report, there have been incidents similar to this on earlier trips too.  According to the National Transportation Safety Board, pilots on several earlier trips had warned United Airlines mechanics that they found smoke in the cockpit, or found the windshield overheated.  However, according to the report, no repairs were made because United Airlines mechanics were unable to identify the cause of the problem.  When mechanics found the source of the problem, they decided to rely on the airline’s maintenance rules, and deferred replacement of the defective parts.

Over the past decade, California plane crash lawyers have learned of several such incidents in Boeing jets around the world.  Electrical malfunctioning has led to overheating of windshield heater systems, and in some cases, fires have broken out.  These have been recorded more than three dozen Boeing jets around the world.  At least some of these incidents are believed to have occurred since the United Airlines fire last year.  The National Transportation Safety Board, in fact, has issued recommendations to replace certain sections of the windshields on several Boeing jets.  In spite of the recommendations, federal safety regulators have not bothered to inform airlines that it’s important to quickly replace all suspect windshields.

In 2004, Boeing began redesigning the windshields, and installing them on several of its models.  However, the company only issued service bulletins for these models.  The service bulletin only informed airlines about how to replace the possibly defective windshields.  The problem with service bulletins is that these are not binding on airlines, and airlines are left to decide whether replacements are required on their feet.  The result is that many airlines continue to operate large Boeing jetliners with possibly defective windshields that can overheat, smoke and even cause a fire.

Back in 2007, the National Transportation Safety Board had recommended to the Federal Aviation Administration to take swift action to eliminate the possibility of windshields overheating and sparking fires.  However, the recommendation letter isn’t binding on the FAA, and the federal agency has failed to take required action.  In the meantime, passengers continue to be placed at risk when they fly on planes with possibly defective windshields.

 

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