The right hand front windshield of this Sichuan Airlines Airbus A319 (B-6419) got separated with a sudden decompression as a result. The pilots immediately squawked emergency code 7700 and started an emergency descent.
Flight 3U8633 from Chongqing to Lhasa, Tibet experienced windshield separation at 33,200 ft. causing sudden decompression, autopilot and avionics failure. Parts of the cockpit were sucked out. The aircraft descended to 24,000 ft and diverted to Chengdu, website JacDec reported on Twitter.
Some tires of the aircraft bursted during landing. All passengers got out safe, two crew members, one flight attendant and most likely the copilot, got injured.
“A Sichuan Airlines flight from Chongqing to Lhasa made an emergency landing in Chengdu on Monday morning due to mechanical failure“, the airline said, adding that “passengers will be relocated to another plane to continue their journey.”
Sichuan Airlines A319 (B-6419) on flight #3U8633 from Chongqing to Lhasa experienced windshield separation at 33,200 ft. causing sudden decompression, autopilot + avionics failure. Parts were sucked out. Emr descend to 24,000 ft and diversion to Chengdu. https://t.co/w2ZjsGOWKo pic.twitter.com/VgdC6d1lUg
— JACDEC (@JacdecNew) May 14, 2018
Copilot’s uniform from #Sichuan 3U8633 windshield blowout pic.twitter.com/tmd85dAppK
— Dr. Bob Baron (@TACGAirSafety) May 14, 2018
?? Première interview de l’équipage du vol Sichuan Airlines, qui a fait face à une dépressurisation suite à la perte d’une fenêtre du cockpit. pic.twitter.com/vFCVd1nqzE
— air plus News (@airplusnews) May 17, 2018
Should that not be 7700?
7777 is used in military or as a test
Indeed! I changed 😉
Chinese follow-up news corrected that the tires didn’t really burst but flattened to help the plane stop, because they couldn’t use thrust reversal.
Why was there light as the windshield was cracking?
I think overheating of the system element.