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A B727-200 in cruise at FL330 executed an emergency descent and diverted due to the right #2 window outer pane cracking.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 501730 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200102 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iad.airport |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | msl single value : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j149.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 501730 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
At cruise FL330, R-2 sliding window shattered outer and middle pane. Advised ATC and requested 10000 ft. Began descent and requested return to bwi. Flight engineer depressurized cabin. Normal landing at bwi. Crack started in lower right corner and shattered outward. Approximately 25 cracks. At no time did the cabin depressurize from the crack. I did not declare an emergency, but I believe ATC might have. We contacted operations with a phone patch and advised of our problem and we were returning to bwi. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated it was impossible with the number of cracks in the outer pane to determine if the inner structural pane was also cracked. The reporter said maintenance has made no report on the action taken except change the right #2 sliding window.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B727-200 IN CRUISE AT FL330 EXECUTED AN EMER DSCNT AND DIVERTED DUE TO THE R #2 WINDOW OUTER PANE CRACKING.
Narrative: AT CRUISE FL330, R-2 SLIDING WINDOW SHATTERED OUTER AND MIDDLE PANE. ADVISED ATC AND REQUESTED 10000 FT. BEGAN DSCNT AND REQUESTED RETURN TO BWI. FE DEPRESSURIZED CABIN. NORMAL LNDG AT BWI. CRACK STARTED IN LOWER R CORNER AND SHATTERED OUTWARD. APPROX 25 CRACKS. AT NO TIME DID THE CABIN DEPRESSURIZE FROM THE CRACK. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER, BUT I BELIEVE ATC MIGHT HAVE. WE CONTACTED OPS WITH A PHONE PATCH AND ADVISED OF OUR PROB AND WE WERE RETURNING TO BWI. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE WITH THE NUMBER OF CRACKS IN THE OUTER PANE TO DETERMINE IF THE INNER STRUCTURAL PANE WAS ALSO CRACKED. THE RPTR SAID MAINT HAS MADE NO RPT ON THE ACTION TAKEN EXCEPT CHANGE THE R #2 SLIDING WINDOW.
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.