B737 flight crew reports captain's windshield failure at FL380 and diversion. During taxi in aircraf...

Attributes
ACN	805945
Time
Date	200809
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	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 157 flight time total : 15622 flight time type : 1311
ASRS Report	805945
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 8125 flight time type : 2453
ASRS Report	805577
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe excursion : taxiway
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Ferry flight (2 pilots; no other crew or passenger) from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2 departed ZZZ1 at XA45. 1 hour into the flight at FL380 and around .730 mach; a loud 'pop' was heard and captain's forward windshield cracked with a complete shattered appearance. Accomplished checklist and initiated descent to 14000 ft maintaining low cabin pressure differential. Xferred aircraft control to first officer and communicated situation to company. Agreed with dispatcher to divert to ZZZ. Decided to maintain 14000 ft rather than lower to ensure enough fuel for divert. Good WX and visibility throughout flight and first officer's visual approach and landing on runway xxl. Still night conditions at XC30 at touchdown and taxi off. I took back control during rollout as I could see the green centerline lights ok and then instructed by tower to cross runway xxr. After crossing we were northbound when the centerline lights ended and we saw our parking ramp ahead. The first officer began changing radios for ramp entry and as we slowly continued forward in my mind with the limited visibility I thought taxiway continued on. It didn't and we rolled off the pavement into the grass. I realized what had happened and stopped the aircraft. The ground was firm and taxiway lights ahead recessed so I knew we could continue. First officer notified ATC ground of our situation and asked permission to continue which was granted. Remainder of taxi was uneventful to our gate. Postflt walkaround revealed no aircraft damage and control tower told me their inspection of taxiway lights revealed no damage as well. Contributing factors are limited visibility; fatigue and night conditions. I considered having the aircraft towed once clear of runway; and would have had there been passenger on board; but my desire to 'accomplish the mission' led me to believe I could overcome my fatigue and windshield damage to finish the job. Also; my familiarity with ZZZ caused me to see something that wasn't there.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW REPORTS CAPT'S WINDSHIELD FAILURE AT FL380 AND DIVERSION. DURING TAXI IN ACFT DEPARTS PAVED SURFACE BUT IS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GATE WITH NO DAMAGE.

Narrative: FERRY FLT (2 PLTS; NO OTHER CREW OR PAX) FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2 DEPARTED ZZZ1 AT XA45. 1 HR INTO THE FLT AT FL380 AND AROUND .730 MACH; A LOUD 'POP' WAS HEARD AND CAPT'S FORWARD WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITH A COMPLETE SHATTERED APPEARANCE. ACCOMPLISHED CHKLIST AND INITIATED DSCNT TO 14000 FT MAINTAINING LOW CABIN PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL. XFERRED ACFT CTL TO FO AND COMMUNICATED SITUATION TO COMPANY. AGREED WITH DISPATCHER TO DIVERT TO ZZZ. DECIDED TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT RATHER THAN LOWER TO ENSURE ENOUGH FUEL FOR DIVERT. GOOD WX AND VISIBILITY THROUGHOUT FLT AND FO'S VISUAL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY XXL. STILL NIGHT CONDITIONS AT XC30 AT TOUCHDOWN AND TAXI OFF. I TOOK BACK CTL DURING ROLLOUT AS I COULD SEE THE GREEN CTRLINE LIGHTS OK AND THEN INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO CROSS RWY XXR. AFTER XING WE WERE NBOUND WHEN THE CTRLINE LIGHTS ENDED AND WE SAW OUR PARKING RAMP AHEAD. THE FO BEGAN CHANGING RADIOS FOR RAMP ENTRY AND AS WE SLOWLY CONTINUED FORWARD IN MY MIND WITH THE LIMITED VISIBILITY I THOUGHT TXWY CONTINUED ON. IT DIDN'T AND WE ROLLED OFF THE PAVEMENT INTO THE GRASS. I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND STOPPED THE ACFT. THE GND WAS FIRM AND TXWY LIGHTS AHEAD RECESSED SO I KNEW WE COULD CONTINUE. FO NOTIFIED ATC GND OF OUR SITUATION AND ASKED PERMISSION TO CONTINUE WHICH WAS GRANTED. REMAINDER OF TAXI WAS UNEVENTFUL TO OUR GATE. POSTFLT WALKAROUND REVEALED NO ACFT DAMAGE AND CTL TWR TOLD ME THEIR INSPECTION OF TXWY LIGHTS REVEALED NO DAMAGE AS WELL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE LIMITED VISIBILITY; FATIGUE AND NIGHT CONDITIONS. I CONSIDERED HAVING THE ACFT TOWED ONCE CLR OF RWY; AND WOULD HAVE HAD THERE BEEN PAX ON BOARD; BUT MY DESIRE TO 'ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION' LED ME TO BELIEVE I COULD OVERCOME MY FATIGUE AND WINDSHIELD DAMAGE TO FINISH THE JOB. ALSO; MY FAMILIARITY WITH ZZZ CAUSED ME TO SEE SOMETHING THAT WASN'T THERE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

B737 flight crew reports captain's windshield failure at FL380 and diversion. During taxi in aircraft departs paved surface but is able to continue to gate with no damage.