Flight returns to Houston airport after windshield cracks shortly after takeoff
By Laura Sharman
(CNN) — A Mesa Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency return to Houston Sunday after the windshield glass shattered shortly after takeoff, according to the airline and air traffic control recordings.
Passengers and crew of the El Paso-bound flight, operating on behalf of United Airlines, landed safely back in George Bush Intercontinental Airport around 1 p.m., Mesa Airlines said.
No injuries were reported, officials told CNN affiliate KTRK.
“The first officer’s windshield shattered shortly after takeoff and while there was no depressurization, standard procedure in such cases are to return to field,” a Mesa Airlines spokesperson told CNN.
Air traffic control audio indicated that pressurization was not lost after the windshield shattered, KTRK reported.
The flight had originally departed George Bush Intercontinental Airport around 12:20 p.m., traveling northwest, before it was forced to turn around, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.
The Houston Fire Department responded to the incident and later declared the aircraft safe, the airport told CNN in a statement.
CNN has reached out to United Airlines, the Houston Fire Department, FAA and NTSB for comment.
The Mesa spokesperson said passengers were transferred to a replacement aircraft to continue their trip, which later landed in El Paso at 3:14 p.m., Flightradar24 showed.
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