A plane took off from Stansted Airport with missing windows due to damage caused by high-powered lights during a filming event.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the Airbus A321 jet, previously used by the Government, returned to the Essex airport after a crew member discovered the issue early in the flight last month.
It warned the incident could have resulted in “more serious consequences”.
An inspection revealed two cabin windowpanes were missing and two others were out of position.
For the missing windowpanes, the only object filling the space was the scratch pane, which is a cosmetic piece of plastic designed to prevent passengers touching the outer panes.
The aircraft was operated by Titan Airways and used by TCS World Travel, a US-based luxury holiday company.
The incident happened a day after it was used for filming on the ground, when powerful lights were set up close to the plane to “give the illusion of a sunrise”, the AAIB said…
