A plane used by the likes of King Charles and Queen Camilla had to make an emergency landing after three windows fell mid-flight.
The Titan Airways flight from London to Orlando in October had to turn around after departure when a crew member noticed one of the windows was loose.
Passengers also noticed that the plane was noisier and colder than usual, according to the Telegraph.
But the extent of the damage was not known until the plane landed: three of the windows had fallen out and impact damage was visible on the tail, according to a new report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
Two of the panes were completely removed, while the third window was missing the interior pane and a rubber seal, and a fourth window was damaged, according to the report.
There were nine passengers and 11 crew members on board. None of them reported injuries.
The aircraft was originally used by the British government. It was later sold to Titan Airways, which describes itself as a charter airline specializing in VIP and business travel.
The Telegraph reported that Charles and Camilla traveled on the same plane during their visit to France in September.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla disembark from the plane at Orly Airport on September 20, 2023 in Paris, France. Tim Rooke/Getty Images
It was also used by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and James Cleverly, the British foreign secretary, the outlet said.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment when contacted by Business Insider.
The AAIB report identified the cause of the damage as the windows having been exposed to high intensity lights when the plane was used to film a commercial at London’s Stansted Airport the day before.
The lights, used to signal a sunrise, were shined into windows for several hours at a time, according to the report. They had a combined capacity of 72,000 watts, more than seven hundred times more powerful than a standard light bulb, the Telegraph reported.
This image from the Air Accident Investigation Branch shows the damage caused. Air Accident Investigation Branch
Nothing in the AAIB report suggests manufacturing problems contributed to the damage.
Even though the plane lost its windows, that doesn’t mean the wind was flowing through the cabin, the report said.
“All the windows remained in place, so there was no direct, unrestricted opening between the passenger cabin and the outside air,” he added, noting that the amount of air that escaping was not sufficient to trigger a pressurization problem.
Speaking to Business Insider, a Titan Airways spokesperson said: “the aviation industry as a whole will benefit from the lessons learned from this event.”
“We are also pleased to learn that our colleagues at Airbus will disseminate more information to its global customer base, highlighting the potential harm that can be caused by high-intensity lighting,” they said.
Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is not the first time that a plane has been damaged by strong lighting on a film set.
At least one other Airbus plane and three Boeing planes had previously reported damaged windows during the respective shoots, the report said, adding that knowledge of the incidents was not widespread before.
Damage to one of the Boeing planes was significant. A hole burned in one of the windows while five other windows were distorted after the use of 2,000W lamps, the report said.
In March 2020, Boeing issued a statement advising against the use of high-intensity lights, the report added. If high intensity lights were used, it was suggested to keep their use to a minimum and keep them away from windows.
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