CLEVELAND, Ohio — A Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Newark, New Jersey, made an unplanned landing Wednesday after a window cracked, the Federal Aviation Administration and passengers said.
Flight 957 was diverted to Cleveland after a report of an issue with a window aboard the aircraft, FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said. It landed safely at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, she said.
Passenger Linda Holley texted her son Ryan with a picture of the damaged window.
“Window on plane cracked during flight. Landing in Cleveland to be safe. Everything ok but scary,” one of her texts read.
In another, she said: “Yes Southwest. Just heard loud noise. Very large crack with piece of window missing at bottom. Just landed. Everything ok. Don’t know plan yet”
The FAA said it will investigate what caused the window to crack. So far, the cause is not known.
There was no depressurization in the cabin, and therefore the oxygen masks were not deployed, FAA spokesman Greg Martin said. He said the pilot did not declare an emergency but did ask to divert to a nearby airport.
This is the second high-profile flight diversion by a Southwest Airlines plane in less than three weeks.
On April 17, Southwest Flight 1380 made an emergency landing after an engine failed mid-flight.
Jennifer Riordan, a philanthropist and Wells Fargo executive, died after being partially sucked out a window. But passengers and even the President lauded Captain Tammie Jo Shults for safely landing the plane.
In a statement, Southwest Airlines said.
“The Crew of Southwest Flight 957, with scheduled service from Chicago Midway International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport, made the decision to divert the plane to Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport for maintenance review of one of the multiple layers of a window pane. The flight landed uneventfully in Cleveland. The aircraft has been taken out of service for maintenance review, and our local Cleveland Employees are working diligently to accommodate the 76 Customers on a new aircraft to Newark.
As a note, the aircraft maintained pressurization as there are multiple layers of panes in each window. No emergency landing was requested and the flight landed uneventfully with no reported injuries.”
