The window from the pilot's side door fell off a C152 while in cruise at 1000 ft.

Attributes
ACN	417057
Time
Date	199810
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lna
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 220 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	417057
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While at cruise at 1000 ft MSL, wife said she saw light through the door. I reached over to check door (I was flying from right seat). The door was closed. Next, heard loud noise and the left side window was gone -- not open, gone! Doors and windows were checked at preflight and fully latched. Plus, according to the poh you can open the windows in-flight at speeds up to vne, so even if somehow the window did unlatch itself and open in-flight it should not have fallen off. Thank goodness we were over a relatively unpopulated area when it happened. What else could I do? During preflight and again before takeoff, I checked doors and windows -- all latched properly. When I checked door in-flight, I didn't even touch the window. Hmmmm... I reported incident to mia FSS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE WINDOW FROM THE PLT'S SIDE DOOR FELL OFF A C152 WHILE IN CRUISE AT 1000 FT.

Narrative: WHILE AT CRUISE AT 1000 FT MSL, WIFE SAID SHE SAW LIGHT THROUGH THE DOOR. I REACHED OVER TO CHK DOOR (I WAS FLYING FROM R SEAT). THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. NEXT, HEARD LOUD NOISE AND THE L SIDE WINDOW WAS GONE -- NOT OPEN, GONE! DOORS AND WINDOWS WERE CHKED AT PREFLT AND FULLY LATCHED. PLUS, ACCORDING TO THE POH YOU CAN OPEN THE WINDOWS INFLT AT SPDS UP TO VNE, SO EVEN IF SOMEHOW THE WINDOW DID UNLATCH ITSELF AND OPEN INFLT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE FALLEN OFF. THANK GOODNESS WE WERE OVER A RELATIVELY UNPOPULATED AREA WHEN IT HAPPENED. WHAT ELSE COULD I DO? DURING PREFLT AND AGAIN BEFORE TKOF, I CHKED DOORS AND WINDOWS -- ALL LATCHED PROPERLY. WHEN I CHKED DOOR INFLT, I DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH THE WINDOW. HMMMM... I RPTED INCIDENT TO MIA FSS.

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.