Cockpit windows on Boeing aircraft ordered inspected, replaced

Boeing Co. 757, 767 and 777 jets flown by U.S. airlines must have the cockpit windows inspected or replaced after 11 reports of fires in the past two decades, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The order is aimed at eliminating loose connections in the electrical system that heats the window to prevent ice from forming, the FAA said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. Loose connections may lead to cracked windows, smoke or fire and cause loss of visibility in the cockpit, the agency said.

The order covers 1,212 U.S. aircraft, and the inspections will cost carriers a total of $103,000, according to the FAA. Operators can begin inspections within 500 flight hours of the July 13 effective date and continue at regular intervals, or install a redesigned window, the agency said.

The most recent incident was an emergency landing by a UAL Corp. United Airlines 757 at Washington Dulles International Airport on May 16, the FAA said. Of 11 reported fires, five were reported on 757 jets, and three each on the 767 and 777 models, the agency said.

While no reports have been received about fires on Boeing 747s, the FAA said it plans a directive for those planes later this year because the windows are similar.