An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 was forced to divert to Missoula due to a cracked windshield on the flight deck. The flight landed safely and the affected aircraft remains grounded at the time of publication.
Alaska Airlines 737 cracked windshield diversion
On October 11th, Alaska Airlines
flight AS345 from John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) departed Columbus at 09:06 and was over three hours into its journey when a cracked windshield led pilots to make a diversion out of caution.
Photo: Flightradar24
Tracking data from Flightradar24 shows that the aircraft was flying at FL360 around 100 miles east of Missoula, Montana when it changed its course. The Boeing 737-900ER (registration: N288AK) would land safely on Runway 29 at Missoula Montana Airport (MSO) at 10:52 local time, with no injuries to any of the 163 passengers or six crew onboard.
At this stage, it isn’t known what exactly caused the cracked windshield or the extent of the damage. Simple Flying reached out to Alaska Airlines and received the following statement from the airline:
“Alaska Airlines Flight 345 flying from Columbus to Seattle landed safely in Missoula, following a crack in the aircraft’s flight deck window. At no point was the safety of our guests or crew compromised. Alaska’s fleet is outfitted with triple-paned windows that have outer, middle and inner panes. If an outer pane cracks, the other panes can maintain cabin pressure.”
Passengers arrive seven hours late
Passengers onboard the diverted flight were accommodated on a replacement aircraft, a Boeing 737-900ER registered as N402AS, and flown to their intended destination, Seattle. This flight wouldn’t leave Missoula until 18:00 and landed in Seattle at 18:04 local time, representing a delay of almost seven hours.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
The affected aircraft is a Boeing 737-900ER delivered to Alaska Airlines in May 2018 before entering service the following month. Data from ch-aviation shows the airframe has accumulated over 22,000 flight hours and 7,000 flight cycles during its time in service with AS.
Missoula Airport growth
Missoula Montana Airport currently offers flights to 14 destinations within the US and is served by half a dozen airlines, including Alaska, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines and United Airlines. In terms of seat capacity, United is the largest carrier at the airport, followed by Delta and then Alaska.
The airport has seen considerable growth within the past decade or so – in 2023, it broke its all-time passenger record, serving over 913,000 travelers during the year, which narrowly bested its total of 907,000 for 2019. This is a big step up from its numbers from previous years, such as in 2010 when it handled less than 300,000 passengers. It is on course to break its record again in 2024, having recorded a 16% year-on-year increase in footfall this summer.
Photo: vesperstock | Shutterstock
It has also benefited from a brand-new $75 million terminal expansion which was inaugurated in June 2022. This smart new terminal is part of a multi-phase expansion project – phases two and three, expected to be completed by May 2025, will expand several areas, including baggage claim and two mare passenger gates, to further modernize the airport.