Passengers and crew members were on board the plane that flew to Orlando International Airport in Florida on October 4, according to CNN.
According to a special bulletin from the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the plane had reached an altitude of at least 14,000 feet (more than 4,000m) at the time of the turn. The plane landed safely back at Stansted Airport shortly afterwards.
The plane window is peeling off.
The report, published on 4 November, highlighted that the aircraft could have had “more serious consequences” if “window integrity” had been “lost at higher differential pressures”. Passengers reported that the aircraft seemed “noisier and colder than before” after take-off from Stansted Airport.
As the plane continued to climb and the seat belt sign went off, the baggage handler, also noticing "increasing cabin noise", went to the back of the plane and discovered a "problem" with the cabin window on the left side of the plane.
The loadmaster described the noise in the cabin as "loud enough to cause deafness" and informed the crew.
The pilot slowed to 14,000 feet while the engineer and third pilot checked the windows and began the descent. “The crew asked passengers to remain seated and fasten their seatbelts, and reminded them to use their oxygen masks if necessary.” The total flight time was 36 minutes.
After the passengers disembarked, the crew inspected the plane from the outside and found two cabin windows missing and a third window blown out.
Broken window locations on the plane, some window frames are missing
A broken exterior glass panel was later found “during a routine runway inspection” while a fourth window “protruding from the left side of the fuselage” was also discovered. The four broken windows were located side by side, just behind the left exit.
The AAIB explained that the windows could have been "damaged and warped by prolonged heat" when the aircraft was used for filming for four to five-and-a-half hours the day before the flight.
The investigation into the incident will continue to “fully understand the characteristics of the lamps used and how this risk can be managed in the future”.
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