A Thai Airways Boeing sought an emergency landing during a flight from Shanghai to Bangkok after the pilots detected a crack in the cockpit window shortly after take-off today, November 4.
The crack on the Thai Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was reported at about 7.15am during flight TG 663 from Shanghai to Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok.
The pilots reportedly contacted the departure airport after noticing the damage. The aircraft circled to dump fuel before returning to Shanghai, reducing its weight for landing.
Footage said to show the aircraft releasing fuel was shared on social media. The video showed the plane against a cloudy sky.
A cracked cockpit window can pose a safety concern. However, modern passenger aircraft are designed to withstand certain types of window damage, and pilots are trained to follow procedures for such situations. The specific condition of the window on TG 663 has not been confirmed publicly.
Thai Airways had not issued an official statement about the incident, the aircraft’s repair, passenger arrangements or its next steps, according to the supplied report.
A similar incident was reported in February last year, when a cockpit-window crack was detected during a flight from Bangkok to Singapore. The aircraft returned to Bangkok and landed safely.
In January of the same year, another emergency case was reported at Phuket International Airport, when an aircraft believed to be operated by Thai Airways made an emergency landing due to engine failure. The airline assured the public that the aircraft landed safely and that all passengers and cabin crew were unharmed.
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