Service difficulty report · Sliding Window · Airbus A321231

Difficulty date
September 10, 2025
Submitted
September 12, 2025
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N524UW
Make and model
Airbus A321231
Aircraft serial
3977
Aircraft time
53,931 hours, 20,578 cycles
Part
Sliding Window
Part number
SPSA320742
Part serial
21569
Condition
Cracked
Location
Zone 200
Part time
20,538 hours, 8,760 cycles
Stage of operation
CR
How discovered
V
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
A

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

AIRCRAFT WAS GROUNDED: AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED AND THE AIRCRAFT DIVERTED TO ELP DUE TO THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTING THAT AT FL320 AT THE LEFT SLIDING WINDOW THEY HEARD LOUD POP AND THEN THE WINDOW SPIDER WEBBED CRACKED. THE FLIGHT CREW RAN QRH PROCEDURE AND NOTED THE CRACKS WERE OUTSIDE. VERY QUICKLY THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTED GETTING MINI PIECES OF "GLASS" ON THEM AND THAT THE CRACKS BEGAN FORMING PROGRESSIVELY ON THE INSIDE. DURING DESCENT ENTIRE INNER PANE WAS CRACKED AND ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF FLIGHT DECK SEAT WAS COVERED WITH GLASS SPRINKLES. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY AT ELP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT, MAINTENANCE REPLACED THE FLIGHT DECK LEFT HAND SLIDING WINDOW PER TASK CARD 26L21156001.

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