Crack in windshield of Biman forces pilot to make emergency landing

A crack in the cockpit windshield of a Boeing 787-9 of Biman Bangladesh Airlines caused the captain to turn the plane around two hours after departure and return it to Dhaka.

The national carrier's spokesperson, Tahera Khondker, said that following the incident on Saturday afternoon, all 285 passengers and 12 staff members of the flight, which was bound for Dammam of Saudi Arabia, are safe.

After noticing the crack, Tania Reza, the flight's captain, notified the control tower and decided to return to Shahjalal International Airport.

The windshield was not supposed to crack four years after the aircraft was added to the Biman's fleet, according to Air Commodore Moazzem Hossain, director of engineering and material management at Biman.

"We're contacting Boeing to determine whether this was a manufacturing defect or the result of another issue."

/MHK/