Film spotlights as probable cause of Titan window incident

A few days ago, the fact that an Airbus A321neo operated by Titan Airways lost several windows shortly after take-off from London-Stansted caused a stir. Now it is clear how this could have happened.

The British Air Accident Investigation Board AAIB concluded in its first interim report that film spotlights, which were positioned close to the aircraft for filming, played a crucial role.

These were high-performance headlights whose light can sometimes produce high temperatures. This led to changes in the structure. In other words, the heat damaged the windows and the change in pressure after the start caused them to no longer hold.