An MD11 prior to pushback with the windshield heat on the first officer's windshield cracked and sta...

Attributes
ACN	548925
Time
Date	200205
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	548925
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	faa : investigated other other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Prior to start and pushback first officer's windshield cracked and caught on fire. I called ground control and declared an emergency and asked for the fire trucks. I gave the first officer the fire bottle which he used to put out the fire. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he cannot emphasize enough that 'the whole god dammed window was on fire flames and all.' the reporter said when the fire chief entered the cockpit the shattered window was too hot to touch. The reporter stated had this happened a few mins after takeoff it could have been uncontrollable with the window blowing into the cockpit. The reporter said the windshield heat circuit breakers did not trip shutting off power to the windshield. The reporter stated the windshield has 2 circuits, a heat circuit and a defog circuit and where the conductive coating is located for each circuit is unknown. The reporter said the NTSB has taken the window assembly, heat controller and some other window parts for investigation. The reporter stated when relating this event to maintenance people and company executives they are skeptical, but we seen it happen.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 PRIOR TO PUSHBACK WITH THE WINDSHIELD HEAT ON THE FO'S WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND STARTED TO BURN WITH VISIBLE FLAMES. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative: PRIOR TO START AND PUSHBACK FO'S WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. I CALLED GND CTL AND DECLARED AN EMER AND ASKED FOR THE FIRE TRUCKS. I GAVE THE FO THE FIRE BOTTLE WHICH HE USED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THAT 'THE WHOLE GOD DAMMED WINDOW WAS ON FIRE FLAMES AND ALL.' THE RPTR SAID WHEN THE FIRE CHIEF ENTERED THE COCKPIT THE SHATTERED WINDOW WAS TOO HOT TO TOUCH. THE RPTR STATED HAD THIS HAPPENED A FEW MINS AFTER TKOF IT COULD HAVE BEEN UNCONTROLLABLE WITH THE WINDOW BLOWING INTO THE COCKPIT. THE RPTR SAID THE WINDSHIELD HEAT CIRCUIT BREAKERS DID NOT TRIP SHUTTING OFF PWR TO THE WINDSHIELD. THE RPTR STATED THE WINDSHIELD HAS 2 CIRCUITS, A HEAT CIRCUIT AND A DEFOG CIRCUIT AND WHERE THE CONDUCTIVE COATING IS LOCATED FOR EACH CIRCUIT IS UNKNOWN. THE RPTR SAID THE NTSB HAS TAKEN THE WINDOW ASSEMBLY, HEAT CTLR AND SOME OTHER WINDOW PARTS FOR INVESTIGATION. THE RPTR STATED WHEN RELATING THIS EVENT TO MAINT PEOPLE AND COMPANY EXECUTIVES THEY ARE SKEPTICAL, BUT WE SEEN IT HAPPEN.

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.

An MD11 prior to pushback with the windshield heat on the first officer's windshield cracked and started to burn with visible flames. Emergency declared.