Narrative:

At FL350 .75 mach the capts window (L-1) shattered (outer pane). We declared an emergency, slowed the aircraft and descended to FL180 at 250 KIAS. All checklist were accomplished and the flight was terminated at denver uneventfully. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter stated he had never seen this happen before. He looked toward the captain and saw a bubbling of the film layer between panes of window. As he and captain watched bubbling increased all across the window, a crack appeared in upper left and moved across the window. Suddenly the whole outer pane shattered with a terrible noise. It did not separate from the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT'S FRONT WINDOW SHATTERED AT FL350. EXTERIOR PANE ONLY.

Narrative: AT FL350 .75 MACH THE CAPTS WINDOW (L-1) SHATTERED (OUTER PANE). WE DECLARED AN EMER, SLOWED THE ACFT AND DSNDED TO FL180 AT 250 KIAS. ALL CHKLIST WERE ACCOMPLISHED AND THE FLT WAS TERMINATED AT DENVER UNEVENTFULLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED HE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. HE LOOKED TOWARD THE CAPT AND SAW A BUBBLING OF THE FILM LAYER BTWN PANES OF WINDOW. AS HE AND CAPT WATCHED BUBBLING INCREASED ALL ACROSS THE WINDOW, A CRACK APPEARED IN UPPER L AND MOVED ACROSS THE WINDOW. SUDDENLY THE WHOLE OUTER PANE SHATTERED WITH A TERRIBLE NOISE. IT DID NOT SEPARATE FROM THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.