Calls For Airlines To Inspect Failsafe Panes, Surrounds

The FAA has issued a proposed airworthiness directive on Boeing 737s, advising airlines to inspect cockpit windows that may not hold up as well as intended in the event of a bird-strike incident... or even to the rigors of normal flight.

Reuters reports the action follows two incidents in which the windows failed in flight. One aircraft lost cabin pressure as a result.

The AD follows a similar directive in July, which applied to Boeing 747 airliners. That action stemmed from an incident in which a cockpit window fell out, leading again to a rapid loss of pressure.

The recommendation affects nearly 800 737s flying in the US, and another 1,800 planes flying for overseas carriers. The directive calls for airlines to inspect the vinyl window surrounds for cracking, and damage to the plastic 'failsafe' layer sandwiched between the glass window panes.

To date, the FAA has received reports of partial window separations on two 737s. One lost cabin pressure when the edges of a window came loose at 12,500 feet; the other plane was flying at about 29,000 feet when a similar failure occurred.

FMI: www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/airworthiness_directives/