A Sunwing Boeing 737-800 on behalf of TUI Airways, registration C-FFPH performing flight OR-3042 from Antalya (Turkey) to Rotterdam (Netherlands) with 189 people on board, departed Antalya’s runway 18L, received a bird strike and continued to climb to FL360. About 80 minutes into the flight about 70nm southwest of Bucharest (Romania) the crew initiated a descent to FL110 and FL100 levelling off about 15 minutes later and diverted to Bucharest where the aircraft landed on Otopeni Airport’s runway 26R about 45 minutes after leaving FL360.
The airline reported the aircraft diverted to Bucharest due to a cracked cockpit window. The windshield was damaged for unknown reasons. The passengers could not be accomodated at Bucharest due to shortage of hotel rooms.
Passengers reported there was a dent near the windshield and a cracked windshield, raising suspicions of a bird strike.
A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration OO-JEF positioned from Brussels to Bucharest, resumed the flight and delivered the passengers to Rotterdam the following day with a delay of about 18 hours.
On Oct 7th 2022, the Canadian TSB reported the crew observed arcing at the R1 window followed by a window overheat master caution while enroute at FL360. The crew worked the related checklist, however, the windshield started to crack, a large crack developed. The crew worked the Forward Window Damage checklist and requested a lower altitude. The window continued to crack, the crew therefore declared PAN PAN and diverted to Bucharest for a safe landing, emergency services inspected the brakes due to an overweight landing
