![](/assets/images/storage/full/rRxlEo9ZWPnucEP3eA6p_full.jpeg)
Cabin Window Cracks During Spirit Airlines Flight
![](/assets/images/storage/full/rRxlEo9ZWPnucEP3eA6p_full.jpeg)
A cracked cabin window forced the ULCC flight from Orlando, Colombia to Medellin to divert to Cartagena.
Spirit Airlines Flight en route from Orlando to Medellin had to divert because of a cracked cabin glass. Airbus A319 operated a flight from Orlando to Medellin when the incident happened.
Flight NK1473 left Orlando International Airport at 10:14 am on May 2, bound for Jose Maria Cordova International Airport in Medellin. The crew diverted to Rafael Nunez International Airport in Cartagena after the crack was noticed at 35,000 feet, around 150 nm north of Cartagena.
The aircraft safely landed at 13:18 after circling for 30 minutes at 4,000 feet, just off the coast Cartagena. The aircraft is still on the ground at Cartagena 48 hours after the incident. FlightRadar24.com shows the flight's route:
Spirit Airlines Airbus A319 N506NK was the aircraft that operated this flight. According to data obtained from chaviation.com this aircraft was first delivered to the ultra low-cost carrier back in November 2005. It is therefore over 17 years old. Airbus A319neo will replace the airline's aging Airbus A319 fleet.
Spirit Airlines has 27 Airbus A319s, including N506NK. Each aircraft can carry 145 passengers. This includes 10 Big Front seats and 135 Economy Class seats.
Spirit Airlines offers regular passenger service from Cartagena to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. Ground staff who are familiar with Spirit Airlines' product were on hand to help passengers make travel arrangements.
Avianca, Colombia's flag carrier, competes with Spirit Airlines on this route seasonally. JetBlue is Spirit Airlines' main competitor on its flights from Fort Lauderdale to Medellin. The two airlines are involved in a merger saga.
How common is it for aircraft windows to crack?
Cracking of aircraft windows is rare, especially in the cabin, as on Spirit Airlines flight NK1473. In November of this year, a crack on the passenger window was reported by SpiceJet Boeing 737. The aircraft was not at risk as the crack occurred on the inner pane of the window, which was not an integral part to the aircraft's structural design.
Other recent examples include Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 200 and Air Canada Boeing 788-8, which both diverted due to window cracking in the cockpit.
Source: simpleflying.com