Windshield heater likely cause of fire on United aircraft
A Boeing 757, operated by United Airlines, was forced to make an emergency landing last Sunday evening following a suspected fire in the cockpit, according to the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board).
None of the 105 passengers and seven crew members on board the aircraft were injured when the incident occurred. The flight was United 27 flying to Los Angeles from New York when the fire is reported to have occurred. The pilots elected to divert to Washington D.C.
The fire is thought to have broken out in the windshield heater. This is a problem a number of similar aged Boeing aircraft have suffered from recently.
The fire did not spread outside the cockpit and was extinguished shortly after the flight crew became aware of it. However, NTSB investigators found that it caused the outer pain of 757’s cockpit windscreen to crack.
At least six fires can be attributed to problems with the windshield heating system, according to the NTSB. In 2007 Boeing urged carriers operating 757, 767, 747 and 777 aircraft to carry out maintenance and inspections of the problematic system. However the manufacturer has no power over the airlines and regulation is yet to be imposed.
In 2008, the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) tried to enforce a proposal that all airlines should performs inspections and maintenance on window heaters. This was not accepted at the time but the FAA now plan to implement similar rules this August.
