A long-haul flight from Nigeria to the United Kingdom was forced to return to its departure airport after the crew discovered damage to the aircraft’s cockpit windshield during the climb.
On March 13th 2026, an Air Peace Boeing 777-200, registration 5N-BVE, operating flight P4-7576 from Abuja to London Heathrow Airport, was cruising at FL360 about 250 nautical miles north of Abuja when the crew detected a problem with the cockpit windshield.
The pilots responded by descending the aircraft to about FL100 and deciding to discontinue the transcontinental flight. The aircraft turned around and headed back toward Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
After the return journey, the widebody jet landed safely on runway 22 approximately two hours and twenty minutes after its original departure.
According to the airline, the aircraft had suffered a cracked windshield, with a suspected bird strike believed to be the likely cause of the damage.
Passengers on board were later rebooked onto alternative flights to continue their journeys to London and other destinations.
Following inspection and necessary checks, the aircraft returned to service the following day and again operated the same route as flight P4-7576 between Abuja and London Heathrow.