Narrative:

First officer windscreen started arcing just after leveloff at FL390. Descended to lower flight level after getting clearance from ZAU. Windshield cracked during descent, due to lack of information in QRH and because the seriousness was unknown, we declared emergency and diverted to dsm, ia. Rest of flight was normal. Problems with lack of information on windshields in flight crew operating manuals. Problems encountered: cockpit resource management: 1) did not have good handle on what divert airports were in our divert book. 2) oxygen masks usage took some getting used to in actual situation. We donned masks as a precaution, and initially had some difficulty using intercom and radio. 3) I am personally going to establish a set of procedures or a list of actions with an acronym format to help me ensure that I've covered all aspects of an abnormal. 4) after yrs of flying, I have never experienced arcing in the windshield and it can be very disconcerting. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: though a cracked windshield is not an emergency procedure, the flight crew was concerned about having adequate fuel to their destination at FL230. The captain had never experienced arcing in a windshield and, as he stated, 'it can be very disconcerting.' also, the cracked windshield was in front of the first officer and the first officer was extremely worried, to the point that the captain stated that the first officer would have abandoned the cockpit if they had not landed soon. The irregular procedure does not call for removing electrical power to the window and the flight crew did not do that because of not knowing what other system may be on the same circuit breaker. After the aircraft was landed, it was ferried the next morning by another crew to the company maintenance base for repair. Aircraft type A-320.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARCING AND CRACKED WINDSHIELD. EMER DECLARED AND ACFT DIVERTED TO NEAREST ARPT.

Narrative: FO WINDSCREEN STARTED ARCING JUST AFTER LEVELOFF AT FL390. DSNDED TO LOWER FLT LEVEL AFTER GETTING CLRNC FROM ZAU. WINDSHIELD CRACKED DURING DSCNT, DUE TO LACK OF INFO IN QRH AND BECAUSE THE SERIOUSNESS WAS UNKNOWN, WE DECLARED EMER AND DIVERTED TO DSM, IA. REST OF FLT WAS NORMAL. PROBS WITH LACK OF INFO ON WINDSHIELDS IN FLC OPERATING MANUALS. PROBS ENCOUNTERED: COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT: 1) DID NOT HAVE GOOD HANDLE ON WHAT DIVERT ARPTS WERE IN OUR DIVERT BOOK. 2) OXYGEN MASKS USAGE TOOK SOME GETTING USED TO IN ACTUAL SIT. WE DONNED MASKS AS A PRECAUTION, AND INITIALLY HAD SOME DIFFICULTY USING INTERCOM AND RADIO. 3) I AM PERSONALLY GOING TO ESTABLISH A SET OF PROCS OR A LIST OF ACTIONS WITH AN ACRONYM FORMAT TO HELP ME ENSURE THAT I'VE COVERED ALL ASPECTS OF AN ABNORMAL. 4) AFTER YRS OF FLYING, I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ARCING IN THE WINDSHIELD AND IT CAN BE VERY DISCONCERTING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THOUGH A CRACKED WINDSHIELD IS NOT AN EMER PROC, THE FLC WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING ADEQUATE FUEL TO THEIR DEST AT FL230. THE CAPT HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ARCING IN A WINDSHIELD AND, AS HE STATED, 'IT CAN BE VERY DISCONCERTING.' ALSO, THE CRACKED WINDSHIELD WAS IN FRONT OF THE FO AND THE FO WAS EXTREMELY WORRIED, TO THE POINT THAT THE CAPT STATED THAT THE FO WOULD HAVE ABANDONED THE COCKPIT IF THEY HAD NOT LANDED SOON. THE IRREGULAR PROC DOES NOT CALL FOR REMOVING ELECTRICAL PWR TO THE WINDOW AND THE FLC DID NOT DO THAT BECAUSE OF NOT KNOWING WHAT OTHER SYS MAY BE ON THE SAME CIRCUIT BREAKER. AFTER THE ACFT WAS LANDED, IT WAS FERRIED THE NEXT MORNING BY ANOTHER CREW TO THE COMPANY MAINT BASE FOR REPAIR. ACFT TYPE A-320.

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.