A JetBlue flight from Puerto Rico to Tampa was diverted to South Florida Sunday after its outer windshield cracked in midair.
The midday flight took off from San Juan at 10:29 a.m., but ended up having to alter its course shortly into the flight and landed in Fort Lauderdale just before 1 p.m.
“JetBlue flight 1052 from San Juan to Tampa diverted to Fort Lauderdale in an abundance of caution following a report of damage to one of the outer layers of the cockpit windscreen,” JetBlue said in a statement. “The flight landed safely at approximately 1:00 p.m. local time. Customers have been accommodated on another aircraft.”
The cracks did not cause the plane to lose cabin pressure.
Passengers changed planes and eventually arrived in Tampa at 3:31 p.m., according to Tampa ABC affiliate WFTS.
Michael Paluska, a reporter for WFTS, happened to be on the flight during the emergency and filmed flight attendants reacting to the problem.
“It happens, I wouldn’t say frequently, but I’ve actually had this happen before,” the flight attendant told passengers. “There’s multiple, multiple layers in the windscreen and it’s the outer layer that shattered. … Like I said, we’re not in any grave danger.”
Windshield in cockpit shattered 3/4 of way home on our @JetBlue flight to #Tampa from #PuertoRico. Thank you pilots for getting us to Fort Lauderdale safely! Be home in Tampa soon! @abcactionnews pic.twitter.com/7Rjo8ouOI9
— Michael Paluska (@MichaelPaluska) May 6, 2018
The past few years all planes are sent to Mexico and South America for overhaul for the parts and labor are cheaper and there is less regulation in those countries. I met a long time aerospace service guy on a flight and he told me this straight out that now most repairs are done South of the boarder. As with trucking as well from those countries less regulation = greater risk of injury but cheaper. So as always, we get what we pay for and unfortunately cost these day overrides safety.
ESN
Im begining to think 🤔 is there a sniper on the ground doing this??
At least it wasn’t dangerous.