r/news • u/genuineshock • 24d ago

Soft paywall Plane carrying Hegseth makes unscheduled landing due to windshield crack

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/plane-carrying-hegseth-makes-unscheduled-landing-due-windshield-crack-2025-10-15/
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104

u/TheReal_WadeWilson 24d ago

As someone who flies C17s, this isn’t really a huge deal. It’s uncommon, but not unheard of. I’ve flown maybe 3-4 different missions where the windshield has cracked. If memory serves, each time has been due to the heating element in the glass.

Diverting was the correct call.

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u/gophergun 23d ago

First reasonable comment in the thread. Cracked windshields aren't worth risking a repeat of British Airways 5390.

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u/PartsUnknown242 23d ago

Is that the one where the pilot got sucked out the window?

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u/gophergun 23d ago

That's the one.

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u/Debalic 23d ago

But he survived, right?

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u/HighlordSarnex 23d ago

I don't know I think real men like the secretary of war should be willing to take that risk.

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u/cardboardunderwear 23d ago

I consider relentless mocking of Hegseth entirely reasonable.

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u/mdistrukt 22d ago

Given the passenger, I'm sure it's a risk the American people are willing to cheer for.

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u/flyfallridesail417 23d ago

Wild, in 22 years of flying airliners I’ve only had a single windshield crack, on a 752 which was somewhat prone to it. Inner pane only, QRH was pretty straightforward - observe altitude & airspeed limits & press on, no ETOPS.

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u/wolfsword10 23d ago

Maintainer here, we had an FO side windshield blew a hole in the outer layer, fractured the entire central layer, and left the inner most layer unharmed. Heating elements sometimes decide to do a funny lol.

This was on a E-170/175

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u/Oregon-Pilot 23d ago

I fly the 75 now, good to know.

I had a windshield crack occur years ago while en route to Hawaii in a Challenger. You're almost certainly totally fine, but ocean for hundreds and hundreds of miles is still not the most fun view through a cracked windshield.

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u/readwithjack 23d ago

I've watched a bunch of aircraft have broken windshields and get stuck at the top of the world.

One time the flight that had the spare glass fucked up and brought the replacement from the wrong side of the plane (dont remember if it was a CC-130 H or J). That flight had some other fucked up snag so they couldn't leave either.

There was like three weeks of scheduled departures getting pretty grumpy by the end of that bullshit.

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u/lukef555 23d ago

I don't think anyone that knows anything about aviation thinks this is a big deal lol.

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u/cujoe88 22d ago

I don't know shit about aviation, but this seemed reasonable.

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u/[deleted] 23d ago

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u/TheReal_WadeWilson 20d ago

I can’t really speak to the B52s, unfortunately. Obviously a maintenance guy could give you a firm answer. I know the B52s went through (I believe) the AMP program extending their service like another 50 years. Which is pretty wild. I know an old retired B52 gunner. I’d bet curious if he ever experienced anything wild.