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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Air carrier medium large transport on climb out from pit returned because of a cracked outer windshield pane.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 195760 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199111 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pit |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1400 |
| ASRS Report | 195760 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On departure while climbing to altitude and passing 9000 ft the first officer's windscreen cracked almost the entire length, with the left portion of the crack starting to craze, and arcing and charring of the windscreen. Handbook procedures were followed, windshield heat turned off and with the first officer's seat in a lowered position we uneventfully returned to pittsburgh for an uneventful but slightly overweight landing. What caused the problem is unknown. But the handbook describes a crack as we had as an MEL item and flyable condition. That is to say a crack in the outer pane of glass only. We could not immediately tell if only the outer pane was affected, but could after external examination. After a quick mechanical inspection he asked if he med'ed the window if we would take it. I refused, as it was a serious looking crack to me, encompassing the entire window pane. I would like to see more stringent guidelines in regards to window cracks and a better method for determining which panes are cracked.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR MLG ON CLB OUT FROM PIT RETURNED BECAUSE OF A CRACKED OUTER WINDSHIELD PANE.
Narrative: ON DEP WHILE CLBING TO ALT AND PASSING 9000 FT THE FO'S WINDSCREEN CRACKED ALMOST THE ENTIRE LENGTH, WITH THE L PORTION OF THE CRACK STARTING TO CRAZE, AND ARCING AND CHARRING OF THE WINDSCREEN. HANDBOOK PROCS WERE FOLLOWED, WINDSHIELD HEAT TURNED OFF AND WITH THE FO'S SEAT IN A LOWERED POS WE UNEVENTFULLY RETURNED TO PITTSBURGH FOR AN UNEVENTFUL BUT SLIGHTLY OVERWT LNDG. WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM IS UNKNOWN. BUT THE HANDBOOK DESCRIBES A CRACK AS WE HAD AS AN MEL ITEM AND FLYABLE CONDITION. THAT IS TO SAY A CRACK IN THE OUTER PANE OF GLASS ONLY. WE COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY TELL IF ONLY THE OUTER PANE WAS AFFECTED, BUT COULD AFTER EXTERNAL EXAMINATION. AFTER A QUICK MECHANICAL INSPECTION HE ASKED IF HE MED'ED THE WINDOW IF WE WOULD TAKE IT. I REFUSED, AS IT WAS A SERIOUS LOOKING CRACK TO ME, ENCOMPASSING THE ENTIRE WINDOW PANE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE STRINGENT GUIDELINES IN REGARDS TO WINDOW CRACKS AND A BETTER METHOD FOR DETERMINING WHICH PANES ARE CRACKED.
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.