An embraer 145 in cruise at FL280 has window heat off. Descended through overcast to 4000 ft. All 4 ...

Attributes
ACN	612407
Time
Date	200403
Day	Sun
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : vacating altitude descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	612407
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Chart Or Publication Aircraft Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Company
Situations
Publication	FLT OPS MANUAL

Narrative:

At FL280 clear skies, overcast below, windshield heat off. In our descent windshield heat came back on. We were in the clouds from FL260 until FL040. We were also in and out of rain. All four windows fogged up including the heated part of the windshield. It took the first officer and myself 15 mins of wiping the windows with napkins to get the windows to a point where we could see out of them. The napkins were soaking wet. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the first series of embraer 145 aircraft delivered had window heat pane delamination problems. The reporter said another window manufacturer began supplying windows but the same window delamination problem remained. The reporter stated a new procedure was introduced by the carrier to correct the delamination problem by operating the window heat system up to FL180 and turn off the window heat above FL180. This procedure works fine on the way up, but coming down, the windows fog up and seriously impair vision. The reporter stated that in this incident both crew members wiped windows for 20 mins with little or no vision.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 145 IN CRUISE AT FL280 HAS WINDOW HEAT OFF. DSNDED THROUGH OVERCAST TO 4000 FT. ALL 4 COCKPIT WINDOWS FOGGED UP. VISION IMPAIRED.

Narrative: AT FL280 CLEAR SKIES, OVERCAST BELOW, WINDSHIELD HEAT OFF. IN OUR DSCNT WINDSHIELD HEAT CAME BACK ON. WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS FROM FL260 UNTIL FL040. WE WERE ALSO IN AND OUT OF RAIN. ALL FOUR WINDOWS FOGGED UP INCLUDING THE HEATED PART OF THE WINDSHIELD. IT TOOK THE FO AND MYSELF 15 MINS OF WIPING THE WINDOWS WITH NAPKINS TO GET THE WINDOWS TO A POINT WHERE WE COULD SEE OUT OF THEM. THE NAPKINS WERE SOAKING WET. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE FIRST SERIES OF EMBRAER 145 ACFT DELIVERED HAD WINDOW HEAT PANE DELAMINATION PROBS. THE RPTR SAID ANOTHER WINDOW MANUFACTURER BEGAN SUPPLYING WINDOWS BUT THE SAME WINDOW DELAMINATION PROB REMAINED. THE RPTR STATED A NEW PROC WAS INTRODUCED BY THE CARRIER TO CORRECT THE DELAMINATION PROB BY OPERATING THE WINDOW HEAT SYSTEM UP TO FL180 AND TURN OFF THE WINDOW HEAT ABOVE FL180. THIS PROC WORKS FINE ON THE WAY UP, BUT COMING DOWN, THE WINDOWS FOG UP AND SERIOUSLY IMPAIR VISION. THE RPTR STATED THAT IN THIS INCIDENT BOTH CREW MEMBERS WIPED WINDOWS FOR 20 MINS WITH LITTLE OR NO VISION.

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 embraer 145 in cruise at FL280 has window heat off. Descended through overcast to 4000 ft. All 4 cockpit windows fogged up. Vision impaired.