Narrative:

We removed the aircraft from the heated hangar for a runup and system check. After completing the runup, I was taxiing to the gate and the right first officer's outer window cracked in several places. I wrote the discrepancy in the log and called our dispatch office. They called maintenance and he told me that a mechanic would inspect the crack and approve for return to service per beechcraft service manual. I could not find anything in the MEL regarding a cracked windshield but maintenance assured me it was approved per the service manual. Our mechanic in rut inspected the crack, and approved for return to service per the maintenance manual as long as the aircraft was operated unpressurized. We operated 2 flts without incident. After talking to other pilots at our home base, I feel the aircraft is not approved for scheduled flts if it cannot be MEL'ed. I believe the maintenance department and dispatch were in the wrong for making us fly the aircraft in its condition. When some other pilots refused to fly the aircraft with the windshield broken, they were threatened to be fired unless they flew it. I feel pilots should be able to have some backing by the FAA when we are pressured to fly aircraft we feel are unsafe. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the beechcraft 1900 in scheduled service. The MEL is carried in the aircraft as part of the aircraft's library. The reporter has recently moved and has not taken the opportunity to look further into the MEL to ascertain under which conditions the aircraft can be flown with a cracked windscreen. The windscreen was cracked vertically in '3 or 4 places, clear across.' the reporter is now aware of the FAA aviation safety hotline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE1900 PLT FLEW AN ACFT WITH A BADLY CRACKED WINDSCREEN.

Narrative: WE REMOVED THE ACFT FROM THE HEATED HANGAR FOR A RUNUP AND SYS CHK. AFTER COMPLETING THE RUNUP, I WAS TAXIING TO THE GATE AND THE R FO'S OUTER WINDOW CRACKED IN SEVERAL PLACES. I WROTE THE DISCREPANCY IN THE LOG AND CALLED OUR DISPATCH OFFICE. THEY CALLED MAINT AND HE TOLD ME THAT A MECH WOULD INSPECT THE CRACK AND APPROVE FOR RETURN TO SVC PER BEECHCRAFT SVC MANUAL. I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING IN THE MEL REGARDING A CRACKED WINDSHIELD BUT MAINT ASSURED ME IT WAS APPROVED PER THE SVC MANUAL. OUR MECH IN RUT INSPECTED THE CRACK, AND APPROVED FOR RETURN TO SVC PER THE MAINT MANUAL AS LONG AS THE ACFT WAS OPERATED UNPRESSURIZED. WE OPERATED 2 FLTS WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER TALKING TO OTHER PLTS AT OUR HOME BASE, I FEEL THE ACFT IS NOT APPROVED FOR SCHEDULED FLTS IF IT CANNOT BE MEL'ED. I BELIEVE THE MAINT DEPT AND DISPATCH WERE IN THE WRONG FOR MAKING US FLY THE ACFT IN ITS CONDITION. WHEN SOME OTHER PLTS REFUSED TO FLY THE ACFT WITH THE WINDSHIELD BROKEN, THEY WERE THREATENED TO BE FIRED UNLESS THEY FLEW IT. I FEEL PLTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME BACKING BY THE FAA WHEN WE ARE PRESSURED TO FLY ACFT WE FEEL ARE UNSAFE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE BEECHCRAFT 1900 IN SCHEDULED SVC. THE MEL IS CARRIED IN THE ACFT AS PART OF THE ACFT'S LIBRARY. THE RPTR HAS RECENTLY MOVED AND HAS NOT TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK FURTHER INTO THE MEL TO ASCERTAIN UNDER WHICH CONDITIONS THE ACFT CAN BE FLOWN WITH A CRACKED WINDSCREEN. THE WINDSCREEN WAS CRACKED VERTLY IN '3 OR 4 PLACES, CLR ACROSS.' THE RPTR IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA AVIATION SAFETY HOTLINE.

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.