BE40 crew had cracked cockpit windshield.

Attributes
ACN	513557
Time
Date	200105
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msn.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc tower : dtw.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Beechjet 400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	513557
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On may/xa/01, beechjet departed columbus, oh (osu) on an IFR flight to madison, wi. The flight departed at approximately XA20 pm local time with 7 passenger and a crew of 2 pilots. Departing osu, we climbed through multiple layers of clouds en route to our cruising altitude of FL310. At FL310 the WX conditions were VMC, and the air was free of turbulence. After approximately 40 mins at FL310 we approached our initial descent point of approximately 80 mi southwest of madison, wi. We then requested a lower altitude from ATC, and were issued a descent clearance. The WX and flight conditions in the descent were mixed VMC/IMC and negative turbulence. Descending through FL180, we heard a loud snap and observed that the left windshield had shattered. The fracture centered around a central impact point approximately 3 inches above the lower windshield frame and 12 inches left of the vertical frame. The fractures radiated above, below, and to the side of that point. Our initial thought is that we had impacted some form of airborne debris. We leveled at 14000 ft in IMC conditions with an outside air temperature of +8 degrees C. We quickly ascertained that only the outer ply of the windshield had shattered, thus not requiring an immediate emergency landing at the nearest suitable airport. We notified ATC that we had a cracked windshield and asked to be rerouted to general mitchell field in milwaukee, wi, where repairs could be accomplished. At this point in the flight, mke was actually closer than our destination airport of msn. We completed an instrument approach procedure at mke (ILS runway 19R) and landed without incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE40 CREW HAD CRACKED COCKPIT WINDSHIELD.

Narrative: ON MAY/XA/01, BEECHJET DEPARTED COLUMBUS, OH (OSU) ON AN IFR FLT TO MADISON, WI. THE FLT DEPARTED AT APPROX XA20 PM LCL TIME WITH 7 PAX AND A CREW OF 2 PLTS. DEPARTING OSU, WE CLBED THROUGH MULTIPLE LAYERS OF CLOUDS ENRTE TO OUR CRUISING ALT OF FL310. AT FL310 THE WX CONDITIONS WERE VMC, AND THE AIR WAS FREE OF TURB. AFTER APPROX 40 MINS AT FL310 WE APCHED OUR INITIAL DSCNT POINT OF APPROX 80 MI SW OF MADISON, WI. WE THEN REQUESTED A LOWER ALT FROM ATC, AND WERE ISSUED A DSCNT CLRNC. THE WX AND FLT CONDITIONS IN THE DSCNT WERE MIXED VMC/IMC AND NEGATIVE TURB. DSNDING THROUGH FL180, WE HEARD A LOUD SNAP AND OBSERVED THAT THE L WINDSHIELD HAD SHATTERED. THE FRACTURE CTRED AROUND A CENTRAL IMPACT POINT APPROX 3 INCHES ABOVE THE LOWER WINDSHIELD FRAME AND 12 INCHES L OF THE VERT FRAME. THE FRACTURES RADIATED ABOVE, BELOW, AND TO THE SIDE OF THAT POINT. OUR INITIAL THOUGHT IS THAT WE HAD IMPACTED SOME FORM OF AIRBORNE DEBRIS. WE LEVELED AT 14000 FT IN IMC CONDITIONS WITH AN OUTSIDE AIR TEMP OF +8 DEGS C. WE QUICKLY ASCERTAINED THAT ONLY THE OUTER PLY OF THE WINDSHIELD HAD SHATTERED, THUS NOT REQUIRING AN IMMEDIATE EMER LNDG AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. WE NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE HAD A CRACKED WINDSHIELD AND ASKED TO BE REROUTED TO GENERAL MITCHELL FIELD IN MILWAUKEE, WI, WHERE REPAIRS COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED. AT THIS POINT IN THE FLT, MKE WAS ACTUALLY CLOSER THAN OUR DEST ARPT OF MSN. WE COMPLETED AN INST APCH PROC AT MKE (ILS RWY 19R) AND LANDED WITHOUT 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.