20250503005149I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 182T · West Palm Beach, FL · May 3, 2025

Date: May 3, 2025 · 12:38 local
Place: West Palm Beach, FL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N420FW
Reported as: Cessna 182T
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 546 total

N420FWRegistered now · Cessna 182TS/N 18281494 · Built 2004 Airframe modelCessna 182T Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft preflighted by PIC with no identified indications of window hinge failure.

In cruise flight the window assembly departed the aircraft after PIC turned on climate control. No additional damage to aircraft.

Incident occured offshore east of West Palm Beach. No reported contact with area personnel or vessels on the ocean.

Aircraft immediately advised ATC, diverted to F45 for landing with no additional anomolies.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT PREFLIGHTED BY PIC WITH NO IDENTIFIED INDICATIONS OF WINDOW HINGE FAILURE.

IN CRUISE FLIGHT THE WINDOW ASSEMBLY DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER PIC TURNED ON CLIMATE CONTROL. NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT.

INCIDENT OCCURED OFFSHORE EAST OF WEST PALM BEACH. NO REPORTED CONTACT WITH AREA PERSONNEL OR VESSELS ON THE OCEAN.

AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY ADVISED ATC, DIVERTED TO F45 FOR LANDING WITH NO ADDITIONAL ANOMOLIES.