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 October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2011 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago O'Hare Iap · 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 · no longer on the register · 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
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Windows › windshield system › Flight compartment windows › Design
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
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.