Narrative:

While in cruise at FL380; a small crack appeared in the center/lower edge of the captain's forward windshield. I had asked the first officer to take out his flight manual and look up information regarding a cracked windshield. Approximately 1 min later; my forward windshield shattered. We both donned our oxygen masks. I xferred control to the first officer; declared an emergency with ARTCC and made a slow speed emergency descent to 11000 ft MSL. We were only approximately 40 miles from ZZZ and chose to divert there. During the descent; the cabin pressure decreased normally and the windshield remained intact. A cabin advisory was made to the flight attendants as to the reason for our emergency descent and that we planned to make a normal landing at ZZZ in about 15 mins. Dispatch was notified through ACARS of our situation and our intent to divert to ZZZ. We contacted company operations at ZZZ by radio and advised them of our mechanical diversion and our ETA. Operations acknowledged and arranged an arrival gate for us. I directed the first officer to fly the aircraft for approach and landing because the visibility through my shattered forward windshield was severely degraded. The approach and landing was uneventful. During taxi in; I asked the first officer to taxi the aircraft because my windshield was now both shattered and fogged over. Before approaching the gate; I tested the windshield wiper to see if the windshield could be defogged. The wiper worked well enough to defog the windshield and I was able to safely park the aircraft at the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED A CRACKED AND SHATTERED WINDSHIELD IN CRUISE. EMER DECLARED AND DIVERTED TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE AT FL380; A SMALL CRACK APPEARED IN THE CTR/LOWER EDGE OF THE CAPT'S FORWARD WINDSHIELD. I HAD ASKED THE FO TO TAKE OUT HIS FLT MANUAL AND LOOK UP INFO REGARDING A CRACKED WINDSHIELD. APPROX 1 MIN LATER; MY FORWARD WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. WE BOTH DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS. I XFERRED CTL TO THE FO; DECLARED AN EMER WITH ARTCC AND MADE A SLOW SPD EMER DSCNT TO 11000 FT MSL. WE WERE ONLY APPROX 40 MILES FROM ZZZ AND CHOSE TO DIVERT THERE. DURING THE DSCNT; THE CABIN PRESSURE DECREASED NORMALLY AND THE WINDSHIELD REMAINED INTACT. A CABIN ADVISORY WAS MADE TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AS TO THE REASON FOR OUR EMER DSCNT AND THAT WE PLANNED TO MAKE A NORMAL LNDG AT ZZZ IN ABOUT 15 MINS. DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED THROUGH ACARS OF OUR SITUATION AND OUR INTENT TO DIVERT TO ZZZ. WE CONTACTED COMPANY OPS AT ZZZ BY RADIO AND ADVISED THEM OF OUR MECHANICAL DIVERSION AND OUR ETA. OPS ACKNOWLEDGED AND ARRANGED AN ARR GATE FOR US. I DIRECTED THE FO TO FLY THE ACFT FOR APCH AND LNDG BECAUSE THE VISIBILITY THROUGH MY SHATTERED FORWARD WINDSHIELD WAS SEVERELY DEGRADED. THE APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING TAXI IN; I ASKED THE FO TO TAXI THE ACFT BECAUSE MY WINDSHIELD WAS NOW BOTH SHATTERED AND FOGGED OVER. BEFORE APCHING THE GATE; I TESTED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER TO SEE IF THE WINDSHIELD COULD BE DEFOGGED. THE WIPER WORKED WELL ENOUGH TO DEFOG THE WINDSHIELD AND I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PARK THE ACFT AT THE GATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.