A Stockholm–Malmö SAS flight was forced to return to Arlanda Airport on Friday morning after a crack was discovered in the cockpit window shortly after takeoff.
The aircraft, a Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR registered EI-FPW, departed Arlanda at 08:15, but within minutes, the crew identified the damage and decided to turn back.
“We had a crack in the cockpit window,” said Alexandra Lindgren Kaoukji, SAS communications manager. She added that Arlanda was chosen for the return because technical staff were available there.
According to SAS, the crack affected the outer layer of the multi-layered cockpit window.
“This happens sometimes… But a crack always needs to be repaired; it’s not something you fly on with,” Lindgren Kaoukji said.
The cause of the crack is not yet known. Passengers were rebooked on another CRJ-900 registered EI-HSA, which arrived at destination with a delay of approximately three hours.