Chinese Flight Diverts After Cockpit Window Failure

A Sichuan Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing on Monday after a cockpit window cracked and blew out of the plane.

The aircraft, an Airbus A319 with 119 passengers onboard, was on a flight from Chongqing to Lhasa in Tibet when the window cracked and disintegrated. The cockpit depressurised and the co-pilot was partially sucked out of the cockpit, but was saved as he was wearing a seat belt.

The co-pilot and another crew member were injured in the incident, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said. No passengers were injured.

The Captain requested an emergency landing and diverted to Chengdu in southern China where he landed the aircraft safely.

Sichuan Air said there had been a mechanical failure on the flight but gave no further details of the incident.

Passengers flew on to their destination on another aircraft.