Several cabin windowpanes on the Airbus A321 had been damaged by high-power floodlights used during filming to create the illusion of a sunrise, according to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

But the damage was only discovered after the aircraft had taken off and climbed to around 14,500ft.

"More serious consequences" could have occurred if the "window integrity was lost at a higher differential pressure", the AAIB said in a special bulletin released on the incident.

The chartered flight was due to travel to Orlando International Airport from Stansted Airport on 4 October, carrying nine passengers and 11 crew members.

Several passengers said the aircraft cabin seemed "noisier and colder" than they were used to, after the seatbelt signs had been switched off.

The crew realised something was wrong when a member of staff noticed the seal on a window on the left side of the plane was "flapping in the airflow", and "the windowpane appeared to have slipped down".

They described the noise as "loud enough to damage your hearing".

The pilot reduced flight speed before the aircraft turned around just 36 minutes after take-off, landing safely at Stansted.

An inspection on the ground found two windowpanes were missing, while a third was "dislodged" and a fourth "protruded from the left side" of the jet.

'Thermal damage' caused by floodlights

The panes had been subjected to "thermal damage" after being exposed to intense lighting for up to five hours a day earlier, with the floodlights "likely" positioned closer than the recommended 10m, the report found.

A shattered outer pane was recovered during the inspection, while some of the foam ring material lining windows was found to be melted.

The damaged windowpanes were "deformed and shrunk" and "no longer formed an effective interface with rubber seals".

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The AAIB report added: "The windows appear to have sustained thermal damage and distortion because of elevated temperatures while illuminated for approximately four to five-and-a-half hours during filming activity the day before the flight.

"It is likely the floodlights were positioned closer than 10m."

An investigation is ongoing with the aircraft manufacturer and operator to "fully understand the properties of the lights used and how this risk can be managed in future", the AAIB said.

"Aircraft owners and operators should consider the hazard posed by such activities to minimise the risk of aircraft damage," the watchdog added.

The investigation into the incident continues.