Steampugger

Airplane windows consist of three panes; the outer two maintain pressurization. The plastic inner pane – which the pilot is fixing below – is to prevent passengers from scratching/licking the important windows If you look closely, there is a small hole in the middle pane – it allows pressurization to stabilize so the outer pane is primarily bearing the load. Should the outer pane fail (rare), the middle pane takes over (the small hole is not a problem, airplanes leak all over) Pilots are authorized to perform certain repairs on their own; for example, changing light bulbs in the cockpit (we keep a spare set) or resetting circuit breakers. In some cases, pilots will notify maintenance of an issue, who then directs pilots on how to repair the item. I think that’s the most likely case here. The inner pane is a pretty simple fix; it’s likely it came loose when a passenger banged into it hard enough Passengers do a fair amount of damage to airplanes – everything from tray tables to armrests. Recently, some passengers on my flight complained their headsets weren’t working…they had plugged them into the electrical outlet 😳. It didn’t cause a problem, thankfully, but even if it had, the electrical system would have isolated the fault & removed power In any event, there is no legitimate reason for this to be news. Its purpose is to stoke fear for profit Finally, I don’t know what a “Toddler Expert” is, but please don’t question the pilot on these matters or run to the press with hysterics. We wouldn’t take off if we weren’t confident the flight can be safely completed…we have families to come home to, just like you do

If you drop your phone in an airplane seat, don’t move your seat. We’ll help you get it out Move your seat & crunch the battery, though…we may be making an unexpected stop As long as we’re at it, no batteries in checked bags, either. We can’t get to that compartment in flight