Narrative:

Approximately 30 mins into flight, #2 flight attendant came to cockpit to advise captain of problem with a window. The flight engineer went back to mid cabin to check window. He advised captain. Captain then went to assess situation. Captain came back to cockpit and informed #2 flight attendant via phone to reseat passenger away from window. He told me that we were descending immediately, diverting to rdu, and landing in approximately 20 mins. Captain made a PA informing passenger, after which I gave the prepare for landing PA. All trays were out in first class. Deadheading flight attendant (mia) came forward to help and also gave a PA in spanish. After landing safely in rdu, we saw that the entire window on the outside was gone -- only the plastic covering on the inside was intact! The alertness and quick actions of flight attendant #2 in regard to the problem averted a potential disaster. How was discovered (details): flight attendant #2 who was on beverage cart in mid cabin heard a loud noise which sounded like a large suitcase had been dropped. Flight attendant turned to look back at cabin and did not see anything, then walked aft. As she approached window exits and looked left and right, almost simultaneously, a passenger pointed to a window. At the same time, she noticed the window -- 2 inch area around window looked like bubble wrap and cracked! Supplemental information from acn 404755: during descent, many children cried due to ear pain. I stayed in the aisle assisting the children and parents as long as I could before we touched down. After landing, I called the cockpit to tell them that many children had experienced ear pain during descent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT CRUISE ON BOARD B727-200, CABIN WINDOW FAILURE CAUSING DIVERT TO ALTERNATE FOR MAINT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

Narrative: APPROX 30 MINS INTO FLT, #2 FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO COCKPIT TO ADVISE CAPT OF PROB WITH A WINDOW. THE FE WENT BACK TO MID CABIN TO CHK WINDOW. HE ADVISED CAPT. CAPT THEN WENT TO ASSESS SIT. CAPT CAME BACK TO COCKPIT AND INFORMED #2 FLT ATTENDANT VIA PHONE TO RESEAT PAX AWAY FROM WINDOW. HE TOLD ME THAT WE WERE DSNDING IMMEDIATELY, DIVERTING TO RDU, AND LNDG IN APPROX 20 MINS. CAPT MADE A PA INFORMING PAX, AFTER WHICH I GAVE THE PREPARE FOR LNDG PA. ALL TRAYS WERE OUT IN FIRST CLASS. DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANT (MIA) CAME FORWARD TO HELP AND ALSO GAVE A PA IN SPANISH. AFTER LNDG SAFELY IN RDU, WE SAW THAT THE ENTIRE WINDOW ON THE OUTSIDE WAS GONE -- ONLY THE PLASTIC COVERING ON THE INSIDE WAS INTACT! THE ALERTNESS AND QUICK ACTIONS OF FLT ATTENDANT #2 IN REGARD TO THE PROB AVERTED A POTENTIAL DISASTER. HOW WAS DISCOVERED (DETAILS): FLT ATTENDANT #2 WHO WAS ON BEVERAGE CART IN MID CABIN HEARD A LOUD NOISE WHICH SOUNDED LIKE A LARGE SUITCASE HAD BEEN DROPPED. FLT ATTENDANT TURNED TO LOOK BACK AT CABIN AND DID NOT SEE ANYTHING, THEN WALKED AFT. AS SHE APCHED WINDOW EXITS AND LOOKED L AND R, ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY, A PAX POINTED TO A WINDOW. AT THE SAME TIME, SHE NOTICED THE WINDOW -- 2 INCH AREA AROUND WINDOW LOOKED LIKE BUBBLE WRAP AND CRACKED! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 404755: DURING DSCNT, MANY CHILDREN CRIED DUE TO EAR PAIN. I STAYED IN THE AISLE ASSISTING THE CHILDREN AND PARENTS AS LONG AS I COULD BEFORE WE TOUCHED DOWN. AFTER LNDG, I CALLED THE COCKPIT TO TELL THEM THAT MANY CHILDREN HAD EXPERIENCED EAR PAIN DURING DSCNT.

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.