Window sucked out at 32,000 feet

A Sichuan Airlines flight has made an emergency landing in the southwest Chinese city of Chengdu (CTU/ZUUU) this morning after a windshield on the right side of the jet’s cockpit broke off as it cruised at 32,000ft with 119 passengers on board. The flight, Sichuan Airlines 3U8633, left Chongqing Airport (CKG/ZUCK) this morning and was bound for the Tibetan capital of Lhasa (LXA/ZULS).

It is reported that cockpit window broke off but there are no details on what had caused the windshield to break off yet. The jet’s flight control unit was badly damaged by the resulting sudden decompression. Some parts of the system were reportedly sucked out of the gaping window, forcing the pilots to fly manually before landing the airliner safely at the south-west Chinese city of Chengdu.
No passengers were injured in the incident but the pilot sitting in the right seat, who is usually the first officer, suffered scratches and a waist sprain. 
It is reported that a cabin crew member was injured while the aircraft was in the rapid descent.
A spokeswoman for Airbus said as the plane maker they would provide all necessary support upon request by the CAAC and Sichuan Airlines.
Sichuan Airlines said on its official Weibo account that the flight had experienced a “mechanical failure” without providing further details. It said it had switched the flight’s passengers to another aircraft to carry on their journey to Lhasa.
Mid-air incidents involving cracked windshields happen fairly regularly, often due to bird or lightning strikes, but it is rare for an entire window to come off.

Aircraft Information

Aircraft: Airbus A319-132

Operator: Sichuan Airlines

Flight Number: 3U 8633

Registration: B-6419

Serial Number: 4660

First Flew: Sept 2011

Age: 6 Yrs 8 Mts