Captain's front window shattered at FL350. Exterior pane only.

Attributes
ACN	167000
Time
Date	199101
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : onl
State Reference	NE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zmp
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	167000
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	167491
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

At FL350 .75 mach the capts window (L-1) shattered (outer pane). We declared an emergency, slowed the aircraft and descended to FL180 at 250 KIAS. All checklist were accomplished and the flight was terminated at denver uneventfully. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter stated he had never seen this happen before. He looked toward the captain and saw a bubbling of the film layer between panes of window. As he and captain watched bubbling increased all across the window, a crack appeared in upper left and moved across the window. Suddenly the whole outer pane shattered with a terrible noise. It did not separate from the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT'S FRONT WINDOW SHATTERED AT FL350. EXTERIOR PANE ONLY.

Narrative: AT FL350 .75 MACH THE CAPTS WINDOW (L-1) SHATTERED (OUTER PANE). WE DECLARED AN EMER, SLOWED THE ACFT AND DSNDED TO FL180 AT 250 KIAS. ALL CHKLIST WERE ACCOMPLISHED AND THE FLT WAS TERMINATED AT DENVER UNEVENTFULLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED HE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. HE LOOKED TOWARD THE CAPT AND SAW A BUBBLING OF THE FILM LAYER BTWN PANES OF WINDOW. AS HE AND CAPT WATCHED BUBBLING INCREASED ALL ACROSS THE WINDOW, A CRACK APPEARED IN UPPER L AND MOVED ACROSS THE WINDOW. SUDDENLY THE WHOLE OUTER PANE SHATTERED WITH A TERRIBLE NOISE. IT DID NOT SEPARATE FROM THE ACFT.

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.