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A BA3201 in cruise at 17000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to the captain's windshield outer pane failure with spider web cracking.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 410036 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199808 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pxv |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid tower : evv |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Jetstream 32 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5400 flight time type : 80 |
| ASRS Report | 410036 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 410050 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Shortly after reaching filed altitude of 17000 ft MSL, the left outer windshield failed (spider web type fracture). The captain immediately called for a reduction in speed to 150 KTS and a descent to 10000 ft MSL. The first officer was the PF and promptly performed both commands. ATC was advised and the descent was approved. The 'window failure' emergency drill was performed and complied with. The acm was briefed and readied to assist. The captain elected to divert to the closest suitable airport. Company was advised of the situation. ATC was notified of the plan of action and emergency was declared. After 'landing performances' were checked and the approach briefed, a successful landing was accomplished. Burn marks were observed on the edges of the windshield where the heating elements are located. It appears the windshield had fatigued/partially melted after about 18 yrs in service. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the outer pane was the failed part of the window. The reporter said when maintenance removed the failed window the reporter observed the window electrical connector plugs were burned and the window heating element indicated gradual melting and was discolored a black and green color. The reporter stated no window heat circuit breakers were found tripped.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BA3201 IN CRUISE AT 17000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO THE CAPT'S WINDSHIELD OUTER PANE FAILURE WITH SPIDER WEB CRACKING.
Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER REACHING FILED ALT OF 17000 FT MSL, THE L OUTER WINDSHIELD FAILED (SPIDER WEB TYPE FRACTURE). THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR A REDUCTION IN SPD TO 150 KTS AND A DSCNT TO 10000 FT MSL. THE FO WAS THE PF AND PROMPTLY PERFORMED BOTH COMMANDS. ATC WAS ADVISED AND THE DSCNT WAS APPROVED. THE 'WINDOW FAILURE' EMER DRILL WAS PERFORMED AND COMPLIED WITH. THE ACM WAS BRIEFED AND READIED TO ASSIST. THE CAPT ELECTED TO DIVERT TO THE CLOSEST SUITABLE ARPT. COMPANY WAS ADVISED OF THE SIT. ATC WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PLAN OF ACTION AND EMER WAS DECLARED. AFTER 'LNDG PERFORMANCES' WERE CHKED AND THE APCH BRIEFED, A SUCCESSFUL LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED. BURN MARKS WERE OBSERVED ON THE EDGES OF THE WINDSHIELD WHERE THE HEATING ELEMENTS ARE LOCATED. IT APPEARS THE WINDSHIELD HAD FATIGUED/PARTIALLY MELTED AFTER ABOUT 18 YRS IN SVC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE OUTER PANE WAS THE FAILED PART OF THE WINDOW. THE RPTR SAID WHEN MAINT REMOVED THE FAILED WINDOW THE RPTR OBSERVED THE WINDOW ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR PLUGS WERE BURNED AND THE WINDOW HEATING ELEMENT INDICATED GRADUAL MELTING AND WAS DISCOLORED A BLACK AND GREEN COLOR. THE RPTR STATED NO WINDOW HEAT CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE FOUND TRIPPED.
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.