crack appeared in the pilot's windscreen.

The USAir flight was at 30,000 feet when the pilot spotted the crack which affected both the inner and outer windows.

He dropped altitude and decided to return to New York where the incident has been reported to aviation authorities.

The Boeing 727, which is about 20 years old, took off from LaGuardia Airport at 8.30 a.m. yesterday with about 70 passengers on board.

Within 30 minutes the Captain announced there was a problem with a window and that he had decided to return to New York.

Mr. Colin Zuill, who was returning to Bermuda from holiday, said the passengers stayed calm when the captain revealed there was a problem.

"About half-an-hour into the flight, the plane started dropping to a lower altitude and then the captain announced he had to return to the airport because there was a big crack in his windscreen,'' said Mr. Zuill, a journalist at The Royal Gazette .

"Everyone on board stayed calm and we landed safely back at the airport,'' he added. Passengers were taken to Newark where they flew a Contintental Airlines flight to Bermuda.

Last night, Mr. Paul Turk, a spokesman for US Air, said the Boeing had undergone a normal maintenance check before take-off and there was no crack in the window.

"Both the inner and outer shields had cracked, but we do not know how it happened. The crew exercised some discretion and decided to return,'' said Mr.

Turk.