A Boeing 737 of Biman Bangladesh Airlines was brought back on Wednesday morning from Malaysia after a windshield crack was noticed mid-flight enroute to Kuala Lumpur on Monday night.
The aircraft was grounded for around 12 hours at Kuala Lumpur airport before it was flown back to Bangladesh.
Biman spokesperson Tahera Khondokar told Dhaka Tribune the cause of the windshield crack was not immediately clear.
They brought it back at 8am on Wednesday and kept it in a hangar at Dhaka airport. An engineering team was working to repair the aircraft.
According to a report by the aircraft’s pilot, Captain Shakhawat Hossain, and primary investigation, there are other technical faults apart from the crack on the windshield, which are being examined.
An official of flight operations central control said the Boeing 737 landed safely in Kuala Lumpur after taking off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with around 128 passengers on Tuesday. It cancelled the return flight.
A rescue aircraft was sent to bring passengers on the same day, said Biman spokespersons.
So far, there have been at least two cases, including this one, where the aircraft, including a new Dash-8, had to return to base due to engine defects and other causes recently.
An aviation expert and former Biman board member Kazi Wahidul Alam told Dhaka Tribune that an aircraft windshield can develop cracks due to air pressure, temperature variation, bird hitting the plane or age-related complications.
He further said those involved in aircraft maintenance can avoid these risks if they are careful and do maintenance works in advance.
According to Biman sources, in a bid to offset losses from passenger flight suspensions during the pandemic, the Biman authorities decided to convert its eight new aircraft into cargo and transport a variety of goods, including heavy chemical products, medical and pharmaceutical shipments and dry fish.
Of the eight aircraft, four Boeing 777-300 ERs and two Boeing 737s had incurred slightly less damage, but the interior design and various parts of two Boeing 737-800 aircraft were damaged heavily.
The one that developed a crack on the windshield was one of the two which were slightly damaged. It was leased from Ireland's Celestial Aviation Trading Ltd in 2009 for the Biman fleet.
The leasing conditions say that the aircraft needs to be returned in its original state at the end of the lease durations.
Biman now plans to buy this aircraft as Celestial Aviation Trading Limited has refused to take back the two damaged aircraft. Additionally, it will cost a lot more money to return the aircraft to their previous condition than buying them.
