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An A320 in cruise at FL350 declared an emergency and diverted due the first officer's forward windshield outer plane shattered. Vision impaired.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 633667 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200410 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc tower : pwk.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 3050 |
| ASRS Report | 633667 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | other other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
In cruise flight at FL350, first officer noticed a single crack in the center bottom portion of his forward windshield extending vertically upward. As I examined the windshield, I noticed electrical arcing and melting inside this crack. It propagated to the top of windshield. Arcing worsened very fast and I called for the emergency descent checklist and as soon as I did, a loud popping noise sounded from the windshield and the whole outer windshield cracked into a spiderweb pattern. Inner shield stayed intact. I declared an emergency with ATC and requested ZZZ for landing. I ordered flight attendant on descent to do a cabin advisory preparation. I was able to notify the passenger of the situation and get an ACARS off to dispatch. Landing was normal in ZZZ. I hand flew the descent, approach, and landing into ZZZ. WX was VFR.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A320 IN CRUISE AT FL350 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE THE FO'S FORWARD WINDSHIELD OUTER PLANE SHATTERED. VISION IMPAIRED.
Narrative: IN CRUISE FLT AT FL350, FO NOTICED A SINGLE CRACK IN THE CTR BOTTOM PORTION OF HIS FORWARD WINDSHIELD EXTENDING VERTLY UPWARD. AS I EXAMINED THE WINDSHIELD, I NOTICED ELECTRICAL ARCING AND MELTING INSIDE THIS CRACK. IT PROPAGATED TO THE TOP OF WINDSHIELD. ARCING WORSENED VERY FAST AND I CALLED FOR THE EMER DSCNT CHKLIST AND AS SOON AS I DID, A LOUD POPPING NOISE SOUNDED FROM THE WINDSHIELD AND THE WHOLE OUTER WINDSHIELD CRACKED INTO A SPIDERWEB PATTERN. INNER SHIELD STAYED INTACT. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC AND REQUESTED ZZZ FOR LNDG. I ORDERED FLT ATTENDANT ON DSCNT TO DO A CABIN ADVISORY PREPARATION. I WAS ABLE TO NOTIFY THE PAX OF THE SIT AND GET AN ACARS OFF TO DISPATCH. LNDG WAS NORMAL IN ZZZ. I HAND FLEW THE DSCNT, APCH, AND LNDG INTO ZZZ. WX WAS VFR.
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.