Airbus Industrie A320-211 incident near Chicago, Illinois, September 17, 2011
On September 17, 2011 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Airbus Industrie A320-211, registered CFGYL, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (cruise) near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago O'Hare Iap airport). It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 140 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The infiltration of moisture into the windshield heating layer that induced arcing in the heating system that subsequently cracked the windshield.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2011 · about 3:45 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago O'Hare Iap · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 140 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus Industrie A320-211 · all A320-211s on the register
- Registration
- CFGYL · registered outside the United States · serial MSN 254
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The first officer's (FO) windshield cracked during cruise flight. The crack subsequently progressed into multiple multidirectional cracks that obscured the FO’s view through the window. The flight crew was unable to determine the severity of the cracks and diverted without further incident. A postincident examination of the windshield revealed an area of arcing located along the electrical bus bar at the lower edge of the windshield, near the forward corner. This location coincided with the area in which the power and sensing element wires were routed around the structural glass plies. The area of arcing was surrounded by a cloudy and degraded interlayer, which was consistent with the presence of moisture. A section of the moisture seal was worn and appeared to have been repaired, resulting in moisture ingress. The moisture degraded the interlayer and electrical system resulting in a discontinuity that led to electrical arcing and failure of the heating system causing the windshield cracking. The latest windshield revisions, with part numbers NP-165331-1/-2, are available and include enhancements that reduce the potential for moisture ingress and its subsequent effects on the electrical system.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Windows › windshield system › Flight compartment windows › Failure other cases naming the airframe structure
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Windows › windshield system › Flight compartment windows › Design other cases naming the airframe structure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,809 hours in all
- Last flight review: May 17, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,419 hours in all
- Last flight review: August 7, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 49,660 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 16, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 169,500 lb
- Seats: 147
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm 56-5A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm 56-5A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Canada
The flight
- Departed from: CYYZ Toronto at 2:40 pm
- Destination: LAX Los Angeles CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14R, 9,685 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from ORD, 93 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 134 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on September 21, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1 - FDR Tabular Data | data file | Download |
| 4 | Miscellaneous - Examination Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Miscellaneous - Ppg Windshield Diagram | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Miscellaneous - Ppg Windshield Phamphlet | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- Airbus A320 789 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Airbus 1,503 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cfm 56-5A · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Cfm 56-5A · as the NTSB recorded it
- Chicago O'Hare International · nearest airport
- Lester B Pearson International · departed from
- Los Angeles International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,069 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11IA649.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.