Captain's windshield shattered during cruise resulting in the flight crew declaring an emergency and...

Attributes
ACN	225056
Time
Date	199210
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : msy
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13000 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zhu
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5940
ASRS Report	225056
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
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:

Flight was en route from iah to gpt. We had leveled at 17000 ft, which was our final altitude that day. We had been in the air for about 1 hour 15 mins and were just west of new orleans. I (captain) noticed a line of water bubbles on the bottom l-hand side of captain windshield. It looked like the water bubbles were expanding. I made a pen mark on the windshield and started my clock to see how fast the line was expanding. At the same time, we flew into an overcast and started to pick up traces of rime ice. I told the first officer to ask for lower altitude so we wouldn't pick up ice due to our left propeller de-ice being MEL. ZHU gave us 13000. As we started down I looked over at the bubbles in the windshield. It had expanded past my pen mark. All of a sudden the windshield just shattered. Parts of it turned yellow and black. I started an emergency descent right away. Both I and the first officer put our oxygen mask and smoke goggles on. We told center what we were doing. We did all the required emergency checklists. Being 75 DME from gpt and right over new orleans, and not knowing the full damage to the windshield, we landed in new orleans.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT'S WINDSHIELD SHATTERED DURING CRUISE RESULTING IN THE FLC DECLARING AN EMER AND DIVERTING TO LAND AT THE NEAREST ARPT.

Narrative: FLT WAS ENRTE FROM IAH TO GPT. WE HAD LEVELED AT 17000 FT, WHICH WAS OUR FINAL ALT THAT DAY. WE HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR ABOUT 1 HR 15 MINS AND WERE JUST W OF NEW ORLEANS. I (CAPT) NOTICED A LINE OF WATER BUBBLES ON THE BOTTOM L-HAND SIDE OF CAPT WINDSHIELD. IT LOOKED LIKE THE WATER BUBBLES WERE EXPANDING. I MADE A PEN MARK ON THE WINDSHIELD AND STARTED MY CLOCK TO SEE HOW FAST THE LINE WAS EXPANDING. AT THE SAME TIME, WE FLEW INTO AN OVCST AND STARTED TO PICK UP TRACES OF RIME ICE. I TOLD THE FO TO ASK FOR LOWER ALT SO WE WOULDN'T PICK UP ICE DUE TO OUR L PROP DE-ICE BEING MEL. ZHU GAVE US 13000. AS WE STARTED DOWN I LOOKED OVER AT THE BUBBLES IN THE WINDSHIELD. IT HAD EXPANDED PAST MY PEN MARK. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE WINDSHIELD JUST SHATTERED. PARTS OF IT TURNED YELLOW AND BLACK. I STARTED AN EMER DSCNT RIGHT AWAY. BOTH I AND THE FO PUT OUR OXYGEN MASK AND SMOKE GOGGLES ON. WE TOLD CTR WHAT WE WERE DOING. WE DID ALL THE REQUIRED EMER CHKLISTS. BEING 75 DME FROM GPT AND RIGHT OVER NEW ORLEANS, AND NOT KNOWING THE FULL DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD, WE LANDED IN NEW ORLEANS.

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.

Captain's windshield shattered during cruise resulting in the flight crew declaring an emergency and diverting to land at the nearest airport.