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A dispatcher reports that an air carrier B737-300 flight crew had both windshields cracked when they ran into hail while avoiding a line of thunderstorms.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 433043 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199904 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other |
| ASRS Report | 433043 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Flight between iah-las. About 45 mins after takeoff, flight called me to advise that they had a cracked windshield and wanted to know if they should return to iah or continue to las. I asked, how bad was it? He advised that the other pane was pretty badly cracked. I contacted operations manager and he said that if it was a windshield change, it would be best to bring him back to iah. I then conferenced maintenance control, and it was determined that it was a windshield change. I advised them to return. They gave me an ETA back to iah in about 30 mins. I talked to captain later and he told me that ATC said that it looked like he could go there, but when he got up to the line of tolerance it was solid red on his radar. He then refused to go there and while turning around it happened. Hail cracked the windshields. Landed back at iah at XA43Z without any problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DISPATCHER RPTS THAT AN ACR B737-300 FLC HAD BOTH WINDSHIELDS CRACKED WHEN THEY RAN INTO HAIL WHILE AVOIDING A LINE OF TSTMS.
Narrative: FLT BTWN IAH-LAS. ABOUT 45 MINS AFTER TKOF, FLT CALLED ME TO ADVISE THAT THEY HAD A CRACKED WINDSHIELD AND WANTED TO KNOW IF THEY SHOULD RETURN TO IAH OR CONTINUE TO LAS. I ASKED, HOW BAD WAS IT? HE ADVISED THAT THE OTHER PANE WAS PRETTY BADLY CRACKED. I CONTACTED OPS MGR AND HE SAID THAT IF IT WAS A WINDSHIELD CHANGE, IT WOULD BE BEST TO BRING HIM BACK TO IAH. I THEN CONFERENCED MAINT CTL, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A WINDSHIELD CHANGE. I ADVISED THEM TO RETURN. THEY GAVE ME AN ETA BACK TO IAH IN ABOUT 30 MINS. I TALKED TO CAPT LATER AND HE TOLD ME THAT ATC SAID THAT IT LOOKED LIKE HE COULD GO THERE, BUT WHEN HE GOT UP TO THE LINE OF TOLERANCE IT WAS SOLID RED ON HIS RADAR. HE THEN REFUSED TO GO THERE AND WHILE TURNING AROUND IT HAPPENED. HAIL CRACKED THE WINDSHIELDS. LANDED BACK AT IAH AT XA43Z WITHOUT ANY PROB.
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.