Consternation as Southwest window cracks

Southwest Airlines passengers received another shock Wednesday after a large crack appeared in a window just two weeks after a tragic accident saw a woman partially sucked out of a plane. A Southwest flight traveling from Chicago Midway International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport was forced to land in Cleveland after passengers heard a pop and large crack appeared in the window near an exit row. None of the 81 passengers on the plane was injured and Southwest said its pilots did not request an emergency landing. There was no loss pressure. The airline said in a statement the “potential crack” was on the outer layer of the window and that there were “multiple layers of panes in each aircraft window”. “The aircraft has been taken out of service for maintenance review, and our local Cleveland employees worked diligently to accommodate the 81 Customers on a new aircraft to Newark,’’ it said. “The safety of our customers and employees is our number one focus each and every day.” Passengers on the plane told US media there was no panic and people in the row near the window moved to other seats. “It made you nervous because something like this just happened," passenger Paul Upshaw told the Associated Press. "We didn't know if it was going to crack open." Alejandro Aguina, who posted a photo of the crack on Twitter, thanked the aircraft crew and pilots for handling the situation professionally. “Only outside crack so we’re all safe,’’ he said. Wells Fargo executive Jennifer Riordan died April 17 when she was partially sucked out of another Southwest plane after a window was hit by shrapnel from an exploding engine. READ: Fan Blade missing from Southwest engine involved in shock passenger death. Southwest has estimated a drop in sales as a result of the high-profile accident will cost it between $US50 million and $US100 million. The engine failure also prompted regulatory authorities to order inspections of certain CFM56-7B engines used on Boeing 737s. READ: FAA to require engine inspections after Southwest tragedy.