Cockpit Windshield breaks apart damaging cockpit

Sichuan Airlines Airbus A319 lost a main cockpit window at cruising altitude and also suffered substantial damage to its flight-control unit.

14th May the Airbus A319 aircraft had been cruising at 9,800m and It states that the entire right-hand windshield pane separated, damaging the flight-control unit and causing the aircraft to depressurise.

The flight-control unit, located on the upper forward instrument panel, features dials and switches that enable the crew to relay altitude, heading and other instructions to the autopilot.

Oxygen masks were deployed in the cabin after the windshield loss, says BEA, and the crew transmitted a distress call, setting the transponder to the urgency squawk code 7700.

The flight, Sichuan Airlines 3U8633, left the central Chinese municipality of Chongqing on Monday morning and was bound for the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, the authority said.The aircraft, bound for Lhasa, diverted to Chengdu, bursting two main landing-gear tyres on touchdown.

No fatalities was reported.