United Flight Has Emergency Landing After Cockpit Window Opens

A United Airlines flight had to declare an emergency when an unlatched cockpit window suddenly opened up during flight.

The plane was traveling from Connecticut to Washington, DC, and was forced to make an emergency landing. The incident happened on Tuesday, April 18.

In a transmission captured on radio, the pilot is heard asking air traffic controllers at Bradley International Airport in Hartford, if he can return. It resulted in a delay of almost six hours, including time spent when United brought in another aircraft for the safety of the passengers.

“We’ve had a window pop open after take-off,” he said. At one point, the pilot tells air traffic controllers at Bradley International that he is unable to hear his instructions because of the wind noise, because he is unable to latch the window in the cockpit.

It is unclear whether the incident was caused by oversight or was a maintenance issue.