Broken Window Shade
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
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Broken Window Shade
Just got off a United flight and the window shade is broken. It's jammed and wont move/close. I know it's against FAA regulation if it cannot open but is it if it cannot close? I was a bit scared it would break inflight.
#2
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
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Posts: 2,474
The shade is not a structural part of the window. If it happened to break in flight, it could only harm you if it pinched you or a sharp piece poked you. The outer window, which is part of the pressurized hull, was not at risk.
#3
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Was this on a 752? I was on a flight from LAX where the shade next to my seat was broken/jammed. Reported to a FA and wrote to UA.
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Nothing to be scared of; what you're seeing there is cosmetic. Definitely doesn't affect flight nor passenger safety. Ask an FA to write it up and it'll be on the list of things to fix next time the plane stops for a few hours of maintenance, but definitely not the sort of thing they'll take it out of service to repair.
#7
Join Date: Jan 2010
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GREETINGS from airline maintenance land (though I'm not with UA).
NO, that is not against FAA regs. It's even deferable for, I think, 120 days, though I'd have to look that up.
And, in fact, it's not even broken. Lots of window shades of that particular design/generation do that. You can actually fix it yourself; it's only held in by two tabs along the top and bottom edges.
Just push, and SNAP! It's fixed.
Not that I'd expect a passenger to do that.
But when I see it, I do fix it myself. And then I get the satisfaction/piety/snootiness of having "left it better than I found it"!
That said, I really wish passengers would be a bit kinder to window shades. And other cabin fittings. But that's a gripe for another thread...
NO, that is not against FAA regs. It's even deferable for, I think, 120 days, though I'd have to look that up.
And, in fact, it's not even broken. Lots of window shades of that particular design/generation do that. You can actually fix it yourself; it's only held in by two tabs along the top and bottom edges.
Just push, and SNAP! It's fixed.
Not that I'd expect a passenger to do that.
But when I see it, I do fix it myself. And then I get the satisfaction/piety/snootiness of having "left it better than I found it"!
That said, I really wish passengers would be a bit kinder to window shades. And other cabin fittings. But that's a gripe for another thread...
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043