AAIB Report: Airbus A321-253NX, G-OATW, on 4 October 2023
Report into an accident involving an Airbus A321-253NX (G-OATW) which suffered damage to several cabin windows after high-intensity lights were used during a filming event, London Stansted Airport on 4 October 2023
Flood lighting on the left side of the aircraft
A cabin window was seen to be loose shortly after takeoff and several windowpanes were missing after the aircraft landed. The windowpanes fell out because they had been damaged by infrared energy emitted by high-intensity lights during a filming event the previous day.
The investigation found four previous occurrences on other airframes, but knowledge of them was not widespread in the aviation community. The report considers the cause of the damage and how the filming was risk assessed and supervised.
In response to this accident the aircraft manufacturer intends to publish two articles to highlight the damage that can be caused by high-intensity lights. The aircraft operator highlighted the need for a suitable aviation-focused risk assessment when carrying out this type of activity with an aircraft.