A B737-300 was dispatched with a cracked #4 cockpit window deferred without the required inspection.

Attributes
ACN	371052
Time
Date	199706
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	371052
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1040
ASRS Report	371286
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

In preparation for departure during preflight inspection, the first officer noticed a crack in the outer pane of window R4. We looked up the procedures in the QRH and found only a 250 KT speed restr below 10000 ft if the window heat was inoperative. I next looked in our company MEL to find no relief for this condition. However, under MEL for electrically heated windshields, there is a note stating: cracked or delaminated windows are not deferrable using MEL relief. Contact maintenance control center through dispatch. Maintenance manual procedures will determine aircraft airworthiness. I called dispatch and established a 3-WAY conversation between dispatch, a maintenance controller and myself. I asked maintenance what we had to do to fix our problem. Maintenance stated that he had a 'maintenance note' from the maintenance manual that covered this condition and if I looked at the window and established it to be the outer pane cracked only, then all we had to do was MEL under xx-yy window heat inoperative, pull and collar circuit breakers for #R4 and #R5 windows, and place a placard at the window heat control switches. I asked maintenance if we had to get a local contract maintenance person to look at the window. He stated 'no' because of the special maintenance note procedure. We departed cle to bna. We arrived bna to find that our maintenance center had arranged for local contract maintenance in bna to inspect and sign off our cracked window. He did this and we departed bna-las. I talked to maintenance control and he stated he had misread the manual and that we should have had it inspected by maintenance prior to departing cle. I am not sure what the fix is for this problem, but if persons in maintenance control who work with this kind of thing day in and day out find it confusing, maybe the MEL and maintenance manuals are not clear enough in their explanations. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the aircraft was a B737-300 and only the outer pane was cracked.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A CRACKED #4 COCKPIT WINDOW DEFERRED WITHOUT THE REQUIRED INSPECTION.

Narrative: IN PREPARATION FOR DEP DURING PREFLT INSPECTION, THE FO NOTICED A CRACK IN THE OUTER PANE OF WINDOW R4. WE LOOKED UP THE PROCS IN THE QRH AND FOUND ONLY A 250 KT SPD RESTR BELOW 10000 FT IF THE WINDOW HEAT WAS INOP. I NEXT LOOKED IN OUR COMPANY MEL TO FIND NO RELIEF FOR THIS CONDITION. HOWEVER, UNDER MEL FOR ELECTRICALLY HEATED WINDSHIELDS, THERE IS A NOTE STATING: CRACKED OR DELAMINATED WINDOWS ARE NOT DEFERRABLE USING MEL RELIEF. CONTACT MAINT CTL CTR THROUGH DISPATCH. MAINT MANUAL PROCS WILL DETERMINE ACFT AIRWORTHINESS. I CALLED DISPATCH AND ESTABLISHED A 3-WAY CONVERSATION BTWN DISPATCH, A MAINT CTLR AND MYSELF. I ASKED MAINT WHAT WE HAD TO DO TO FIX OUR PROB. MAINT STATED THAT HE HAD A 'MAINT NOTE' FROM THE MAINT MANUAL THAT COVERED THIS CONDITION AND IF I LOOKED AT THE WINDOW AND ESTABLISHED IT TO BE THE OUTER PANE CRACKED ONLY, THEN ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS MEL UNDER XX-YY WINDOW HEAT INOP, PULL AND COLLAR CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR #R4 AND #R5 WINDOWS, AND PLACE A PLACARD AT THE WINDOW HEAT CTL SWITCHES. I ASKED MAINT IF WE HAD TO GET A LCL CONTRACT MAINT PERSON TO LOOK AT THE WINDOW. HE STATED 'NO' BECAUSE OF THE SPECIAL MAINT NOTE PROC. WE DEPARTED CLE TO BNA. WE ARRIVED BNA TO FIND THAT OUR MAINT CTR HAD ARRANGED FOR LCL CONTRACT MAINT IN BNA TO INSPECT AND SIGN OFF OUR CRACKED WINDOW. HE DID THIS AND WE DEPARTED BNA-LAS. I TALKED TO MAINT CTL AND HE STATED HE HAD MISREAD THE MANUAL AND THAT WE SHOULD HAVE HAD IT INSPECTED BY MAINT PRIOR TO DEPARTING CLE. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE FIX IS FOR THIS PROB, BUT IF PERSONS IN MAINT CTL WHO WORK WITH THIS KIND OF THING DAY IN AND DAY OUT FIND IT CONFUSING, MAYBE THE MEL AND MAINT MANUALS ARE NOT CLR ENOUGH IN THEIR EXPLANATIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT WAS A B737-300 AND ONLY THE OUTER PANE WAS CRACKED.

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.