A canadair 604 in cruise at FL410 descended to 11000 ft due to a cracked first officer's windshield.

Attributes
ACN	481383
Time
Date	200008
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sbm.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl single value : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Global Express
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	481383
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

At 41000 ft, we heard a sound like something hitting the outside of the airplane. We noticed a length wise crack on copilot's windshield. We grabbed for oxygen masks and asked for a lower altitude. The captain flew the airplane while I performed the abnormal checklist. We didn't declare an emergency because we discovered on further inspection it was just the outside pane and also the checklist was not in the emergency section. After descending to 11000 ft, we decided to continue to destination. The airplane's pressurization was never affected. The checklist never called for a landing as soon as practical. We had more than enough reserve fuel to fly at the lower altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR 604 IN CRUISE AT FL410 DSNDED TO 11000 FT DUE TO A CRACKED FO'S WINDSHIELD.

Narrative: AT 41000 FT, WE HEARD A SOUND LIKE SOMETHING HITTING THE OUTSIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. WE NOTICED A LENGTH WISE CRACK ON COPLT'S WINDSHIELD. WE GRABBED FOR OXYGEN MASKS AND ASKED FOR A LOWER ALT. THE CAPT FLEW THE AIRPLANE WHILE I PERFORMED THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST. WE DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE WE DISCOVERED ON FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS JUST THE OUTSIDE PANE AND ALSO THE CHKLIST WAS NOT IN THE EMER SECTION. AFTER DSNDING TO 11000 FT, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO DEST. THE AIRPLANE'S PRESSURIZATION WAS NEVER AFFECTED. THE CHKLIST NEVER CALLED FOR A LNDG AS SOON AS PRACTICAL. WE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH RESERVE FUEL TO FLY AT THE LOWER ALT.

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.