Narrative:

Wbound at FL280 in my turbo commander AC6T, about 50 NM north of tol, I heard a loud bang (like a rifle shot) and saw my right windshield crack into several fissures. No loss of pressurization was experienced as only the outer of 3 layers cracked. I advised ATC and asked for a descent to 12000 ft so that I could depressurize. Center accommodated my request immediately and I conducted a slow descent and depressurization. I asked ATC to make a phone call to my maintenance shop in pwm to ask for the name of a nearby twin commander service center. Center passed on his suggestion of pia, several hundred mi to the southwest. I asked center to call tol and confirm that they too were a service center. They called and advised that they were told that the FBO at tol was not a service center. Given the 75 KT westerly windflow I had been experiencing, I elected to fly the 2 hour trip to pwm for repair. I write because of my concern that, in not landing immediately, my judgement was somehow not sound. Although my first impulse was to land at the first available airport, my thinking cleared a bit after the adrenalin rush subsided. I reasoned that the windshield was stable and would not likely remain that way if the airplane was unpressurized. I also worried that if I landed at a field where the shop had little expertise with this aircraft, that the improper installation of a new windshield might result in a situation less safe than the current one. Had I known of a twin commander service center in the area, I would have landed there, no question. In the absence of that information, I think I did the right thing. However, I will surely carry a list of twin commander service ctrs in the airplane in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PVT TURBO COMMANDER 980 HEARD A LOUD BANG AND NOTICED THE R WINDSHIELD CRACK INTO SEVERAL FISSURES WHILE CRUISING AT FL280. AFTER DSNDING TO 12000 FT, RPTR DIVERTED TO HIS HOME BASE WHICH WAS MUCH FURTHER DISTANCE THAN HIS ORIGINAL DEST.

Narrative: WBOUND AT FL280 IN MY TURBO COMMANDER AC6T, ABOUT 50 NM N OF TOL, I HEARD A LOUD BANG (LIKE A RIFLE SHOT) AND SAW MY R WINDSHIELD CRACK INTO SEVERAL FISSURES. NO LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION WAS EXPERIENCED AS ONLY THE OUTER OF 3 LAYERS CRACKED. I ADVISED ATC AND ASKED FOR A DSCNT TO 12000 FT SO THAT I COULD DEPRESSURIZE. CTR ACCOMMODATED MY REQUEST IMMEDIATELY AND I CONDUCTED A SLOW DSCNT AND DEPRESSURIZATION. I ASKED ATC TO MAKE A PHONE CALL TO MY MAINT SHOP IN PWM TO ASK FOR THE NAME OF A NEARBY TWIN COMMANDER SVC CTR. CTR PASSED ON HIS SUGGESTION OF PIA, SEVERAL HUNDRED MI TO THE SW. I ASKED CTR TO CALL TOL AND CONFIRM THAT THEY TOO WERE A SVC CTR. THEY CALLED AND ADVISED THAT THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE FBO AT TOL WAS NOT A SVC CTR. GIVEN THE 75 KT WESTERLY WINDFLOW I HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING, I ELECTED TO FLY THE 2 HR TRIP TO PWM FOR REPAIR. I WRITE BECAUSE OF MY CONCERN THAT, IN NOT LNDG IMMEDIATELY, MY JUDGEMENT WAS SOMEHOW NOT SOUND. ALTHOUGH MY FIRST IMPULSE WAS TO LAND AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE ARPT, MY THINKING CLRED A BIT AFTER THE ADRENALIN RUSH SUBSIDED. I REASONED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS STABLE AND WOULD NOT LIKELY REMAIN THAT WAY IF THE AIRPLANE WAS UNPRESSURIZED. I ALSO WORRIED THAT IF I LANDED AT A FIELD WHERE THE SHOP HAD LITTLE EXPERTISE WITH THIS ACFT, THAT THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF A NEW WINDSHIELD MIGHT RESULT IN A SIT LESS SAFE THAN THE CURRENT ONE. HAD I KNOWN OF A TWIN COMMANDER SVC CTR IN THE AREA, I WOULD HAVE LANDED THERE, NO QUESTION. IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT INFO, I THINK I DID THE RIGHT THING. HOWEVER, I WILL SURELY CARRY A LIST OF TWIN COMMANDER SVC CTRS IN THE AIRPLANE IN THE FUTURE.

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.