Broken plane windshield forces emergency landing

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The crew and 119 passengers of a Sichuan Airlines flight all experienced the terrifying moment when the windshield of the plane broke mid-flight, forcing an emergency landing in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on Monday.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China’s (CAAC) Southwest Regional Administration confirmed that all passengers on board are safe.

The pilot sitting directly in front of the window got scratches on his face and a sprained wrist. “Half of the co-pilot was hanging outside the jet,” flight captain Liu Chuanjian told Chengdu-based Hongxing News. A flight attendant was also slightly injured during the landing.

The plane's flight control unit was damaged and one pilot was injured. /Weibo Photo

Flight number 3U8633 was on its way from the Chongqing Municipality to Lhasa City in the Tibet Autonomous Region, southwest China.

The official cause of the emergency landing was “mechanical failure”, according to Sichuan Airlines' official Weibo account, but no further details have been released.

Passengers were transferred to flight 3U8695, which was also heading to the Lhasa City, according to the Weibo post. Sichuan Airlines staff took 29 passengers who were shaken up by the incident to the hospital.

Liu Chuanjian said the freezing temperature, sudden decompression and damaged equipment made the landing even harder.

Videos posted online showed oxygen masks falling in the cabin after the incident. /Miaopai Photo

The pilots and cabin crew have received thumbs up from Chinese social media users.

“It is a miracle that all the people were safe,” said @Ribengunianghaobuhao.

“The successful landing can be written into the history of aviation,” commented @Zhuxijue.

A cockpit windscreen of a Sichuan Airlines jet was ripped out at 32,000ft on Monday. /Weibo Photo

Others call for the case to be further investigated.

“While the pilots should be praised, someone should be blamed,” proposed @Shiguangyishui, adding that Sichuan Airlines should set up an emergency response system as an example to other airlines.

The case is still being investigated by the CAAC Southwest Regional Administration and Sichuan Safety and Inspection Administration.