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Pilot of small aircraft training aircraft lost the entire pilot side window during cruise after opening the window for fresh air and cooling purposes resulting in no apparent change in the aircraft's flight characteristics.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 208710 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199205 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : osi airport : nuq |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 11 flight time total : 283 flight time type : 23 |
| ASRS Report | 208710 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I was en route to half moon bay airport. I was in cruise at 3000 ft MSL, approximately 110 KTS, and heading roughly west. I opened the small window on the pilot's left side and stuck my hand out to the wrist. It was a hot day and I was trying to get some air in the aircraft. My wrist was resting against the back of the small window. The pilot-side window (not the small one, the whole window) separated from the aircraft. Aircraft performance was not altered. I tried to spot the window but could not. This event occurred over a sparsely populated (rural) area. I performed 2 approach to landing stalls, simulated an approach to landing (at 4000 ft MSL), and ascertained that aircraft performance was not affected. I returned to moffett NAS (aircraft home base) for landing. Landing at moffett was uneventful. Note: I incurred no injuries.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF SMA TRAINING ACFT LOST THE ENTIRE PLT SIDE WINDOW DURING CRUISE AFTER OPENING THE WINDOW FOR FRESH AIR AND COOLING PURPOSES RESULTING IN NO APPARENT CHANGE IN THE ACFT'S FLT CHARACTERISTICS.
Narrative: I WAS ENRTE TO HALF MOON BAY ARPT. I WAS IN CRUISE AT 3000 FT MSL, APPROX 110 KTS, AND HDG ROUGHLY W. I OPENED THE SMALL WINDOW ON THE PLT'S L SIDE AND STUCK MY HAND OUT TO THE WRIST. IT WAS A HOT DAY AND I WAS TRYING TO GET SOME AIR IN THE ACFT. MY WRIST WAS RESTING AGAINST THE BACK OF THE SMALL WINDOW. THE PLT-SIDE WINDOW (NOT THE SMALL ONE, THE WHOLE WINDOW) SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. ACFT PERFORMANCE WAS NOT ALTERED. I TRIED TO SPOT THE WINDOW BUT COULD NOT. THIS EVENT OCCURRED OVER A SPARSELY POPULATED (RURAL) AREA. I PERFORMED 2 APCH TO LNDG STALLS, SIMULATED AN APCH TO LNDG (AT 4000 FT MSL), AND ASCERTAINED THAT ACFT PERFORMANCE WAS NOT AFFECTED. I RETURNED TO MOFFETT NAS (ACFT HOME BASE) FOR LNDG. LNDG AT MOFFETT WAS UNEVENTFUL. NOTE: I INCURRED NO INJURIES.
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.