Why did airplane's window break?

Investigators probing cause; pilot tells a harrowing tale

An investigative group set up by the Civil Aviation Administration of China has arrived in Chengdu, Sichuan province, to look into why the front windshield of an Airbus A319 blew out on Monday morning, Tang Weibin, head of the administration's safety office, said on Tuesday.

Aircraft windshields are made of several layers of tough material and are extremely hard to break. The one that blew out was original and had no record of problems or repairs, a preliminary investigation found.