SINGAPORE- Changi-based Singapore Airlines (SQ) flight from Singapore (SIN) to Tokyo Haneda (HND), Japan was forced to divert to Taipei (TPE) after a Boeing 777-300ER windshield cracked midair today (October 28, 2024).
The flag carrier of Singapore operates multiple daily flights to Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita (NRT) using a mix of Airbus and Boeing widebody fleet.
Singapore Airlines Windshield Cracked
According to FlightRadar24 data, Singapore Airlines flight SQ636 took off from Singapore at 11:16 PM local time.
Exactly in a mid-journey, the flight crew reported a crack in the windshield, when the flight was at 36,000 feet or FL360. Following this, they decided to divert to Taipei at 3:54 AM local time.
There were 249 passengers and 17 crew members including flight and cabin crew onboard the Boeing 777-300ER, registered as 9V-SWI. It is a 17.7-year-old aircraft and mostly serves Asia Pacific routes.
Following the incident, the Singaporean carrier provided accommodation to all its passengers. The airline is sending an alternate Boeing 777, registered as 9V-SWL to Taipei operating flight SQ9876 to transfer passengers from Taipei to Tokyo Haneda.
The airline issued an apology to all its passengers for the inconvenience caused to them. Further, the airline said that the safety of our passengers and crew members is our top priority.
Similar Incidents
Earlier in June 2024, Virgin Atlantic (VS) Boeing 787 encountered windshield damage during a transatlantic flight between London Heathrow (LHR) and San Francisco (SFO).
The incident occurred while cruising at 38,000 feet in the airspace between Greenland and Iceland, where external temperatures reached -58 degrees Celsius.
The flight crew of VS41 immediately assured passengers of their safety, confirming no cabin decompression had occurred. Virgin Atlantic’s spokesperson explained the windshield’s multi-layered construction, emphasizing that the damage affected only the nonstructural, wear-resistant outer layer.
In a separate incident in February 2024, American Airlines (AA) Flight 94 diverted to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) following windshield damage.
The Boeing 777-200, en route from New York’s JFK to Madrid, departed at 7:28 p.m. but encountered problems approximately two hours into its journey. Massachusetts State Police reported an Alert 2 activation at 9:46 p.m., prompting the unscheduled landing.
The Boeing 787 windshield is very susceptible to cracking, during my training, I found out that Air India always keeps dozens of windshields in spares for the 787 fleet as they crack frequently.
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