Airplane crew discovered missing window panes after takeoff, turned around

A flight from London to Orlando had to turn around after passengers discovered that some cabin windows were missing panes after takeoff.

The flight leaving Oct. 4 from London Stansted Airport headed to Orlando International Airport was in flight for just more than 30 minutes before it safely touched down, according to a special bulletin released on Nov. 3 by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

While the crew did not notice anything wrong with the plane before takeoff, several passengers reported that it was colder and louder than usual as it became airborne.

Investigators believe the windows were damaged by high-powered lights that were used for filming the day before

"Whereas in this case...the flight was concluded uneventfully, a different level of damage by the same means might have resulted in more serious consequences, especially if window integrity was lost at higher differential pressure," the report states.

Multiple reports show the plane belonged to Titan Airways, a European charter airline. Titan Airways did not immediately respond to Paste BN's request for comment Friday morning.

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During flight, crew noticed window seal 'flapping in the airflow.'

Several passengers said that the cabin felt noisier and colder than they were used to after taking from London Stansted, officials said in the report.

After the plane had ascended to approximately 10,000 feet, the seatbelt signs were switched off. A crew member walking towards the back of the cabin noticed it was getting louder, and grew "loud enough to damage your hearing," according to the report.

He saw one window seal "flapping in the airflow," and the window pane was slipping down, the report states.

The aircraft continued to climb and pressurization in the plane was normal, but crew members slowed down as an engineer and a pilot inspected the window.

The crew decided it was safest to return to Stansted and directed passengers to remain seated with their seatbelts on and reminded them to use the oxygen masks if it became necessary.

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Foam around windows melted from film lights

Upon landing, crew members discovered that two window panes were missing and another was out of place.

The day before the flight, the airplane sat grounded in a film set. During filming, external lights were pointed at the cabin windows to mimic a sunrise. The lights were pointed at the plane for more than four hours on each side.

Officials believe that the windows were damaged from the heat of the lights. The foam around the affected windows was melted, and one pane was distorted and shrunken.

"Work is ongoing with the aircraft manufacturer and operator to fully understand the properties of the lights used and how this risk can be managed in future," the report states.