Narrative:

On climb out from atl passing approximately 6500 ft MSL we heard a boom and felt rapid decompression. We immediately leveled off at 7000 ft MSL and confirmed the cabin was climbing at maximum rate. We were almost simultaneously notified by the aft cabin flight attendants that a window had blown out. We declared an emergency and returned to atlanta requesting at least a 15 mi final so as to keep a low cabin rate of descent (this was kept at approximately 300 FPM) the captain said to ask the flight attendants in charge to move any passenger away from the immediate area and I made a PA to reassure the passenger that we were all ok and we would have them safely on the ground shortly. The landing was uneventful. On postflt it was confirmed that the window was gone. Nothing unusual had been noted on the preflight inspection and walk around which I had done before passenger boarding. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the cabin window at seat blew out during the climb. After the aircraft was inspected the maintenance personnel determined that during the routine cleaning and polishing of the windows, this window was reinstalled without the bolts and other fasteners. Only the window trim pieces were holding it in place and it was an undetectable situation to the flight crew. The captain and the reporter first officer had never heard of a situation such as this before and though the window was a plug-type it departed readily at a fairly low differential pressure. The first officer has approximately 2000 hours in the B767 and has had no problems with the aircraft until this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB -- ACR LOSES A CABIN WINDOW AND RETURNS TO LAND SAFELY.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM ATL PASSING APPROX 6500 FT MSL WE HEARD A BOOM AND FELT RAPID DECOMPRESSION. WE IMMEDIATELY LEVELED OFF AT 7000 FT MSL AND CONFIRMED THE CABIN WAS CLBING AT MAX RATE. WE WERE ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY NOTIFIED BY THE AFT CABIN FLT ATTENDANTS THAT A WINDOW HAD BLOWN OUT. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO ATLANTA REQUESTING AT LEAST A 15 MI FINAL SO AS TO KEEP A LOW CABIN RATE OF DSCNT (THIS WAS KEPT AT APPROX 300 FPM) THE CAPT SAID TO ASK THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN CHARGE TO MOVE ANY PAX AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE AREA AND I MADE A PA TO REASSURE THE PAX THAT WE WERE ALL OK AND WE WOULD HAVE THEM SAFELY ON THE GND SHORTLY. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. ON POSTFLT IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE WINDOW WAS GONE. NOTHING UNUSUAL HAD BEEN NOTED ON THE PREFLT INSPECTION AND WALK AROUND WHICH I HAD DONE BEFORE PAX BOARDING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CABIN WINDOW AT SEAT BLEW OUT DURING THE CLB. AFTER THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED THE MAINT PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT DURING THE ROUTINE CLEANING AND POLISHING OF THE WINDOWS, THIS WINDOW WAS REINSTALLED WITHOUT THE BOLTS AND OTHER FASTENERS. ONLY THE WINDOW TRIM PIECES WERE HOLDING IT IN PLACE AND IT WAS AN UNDETECTABLE SIT TO THE FLC. THE CAPT AND THE RPTR FO HAD NEVER HEARD OF A SIT SUCH AS THIS BEFORE AND THOUGH THE WINDOW WAS A PLUG-TYPE IT DEPARTED READILY AT A FAIRLY LOW DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE. THE FO HAS APPROX 2000 HRS IN THE B767 AND HAS HAD NO PROBS WITH THE ACFT UNTIL THIS INCIDENT.

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.