Narrative:

While flight attendant #2 and I were on the beverage cart, we heard a loud 'pop' (a loud bang). The vibration was felt on our feet. I went to the cockpit and spoke to the captain. He said there was a lot of luggage on the aircraft and it was probably luggage shifting. After moving the beverage cart about 3 rows, I caught, out of the corner of my eye, the aircraft window which appeared to be slightly cracked. After moving the cart a little further for better inspection of the window, I noticed the window was not only cracked all the way up, but the outer panel window was protruding out and away from the aircraft. At this point, it was very noisy, you could hear the wind turbulence. I quickly notified the captain of the severity of the window. I came back into the cabin. We had only enough empty passenger seats to move passenger seated (ab seats only) 2 rows forward and 2 rows aft of the cracked window to other seats. The beverage service was stopped, all carts were put away, and we prepared the cabin for landing. (After notifying the captain of these actions we took, he quickly agreed and told us to take our jump seats, as soon as possible, as he felt the window could 'go' at any time and this would results in a massive decompression.) the captain had to slowly decompress the cabin when he got down to 10000 ft. His descent was very slow due to the fragility of the window. Most passenger and crew members experienced pain in the ears for the duration of about 40 mins. We diverted and landed in ZZZ, us, without incident. (After mechanics inspected the window, they agreed we were very lucky that the flight finished without incident.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 IN CLB EXPERIENCED A CABIN WINDOW OUTER PANE FAILURE.

Narrative: WHILE FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND I WERE ON THE BEVERAGE CART, WE HEARD A LOUD 'POP' (A LOUD BANG). THE VIBRATION WAS FELT ON OUR FEET. I WENT TO THE COCKPIT AND SPOKE TO THE CAPT. HE SAID THERE WAS A LOT OF LUGGAGE ON THE ACFT AND IT WAS PROBABLY LUGGAGE SHIFTING. AFTER MOVING THE BEVERAGE CART ABOUT 3 ROWS, I CAUGHT, OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE, THE ACFT WINDOW WHICH APPEARED TO BE SLIGHTLY CRACKED. AFTER MOVING THE CART A LITTLE FURTHER FOR BETTER INSPECTION OF THE WINDOW, I NOTICED THE WINDOW WAS NOT ONLY CRACKED ALL THE WAY UP, BUT THE OUTER PANEL WINDOW WAS PROTRUDING OUT AND AWAY FROM THE ACFT. AT THIS POINT, IT WAS VERY NOISY, YOU COULD HEAR THE WIND TURB. I QUICKLY NOTIFIED THE CAPT OF THE SEVERITY OF THE WINDOW. I CAME BACK INTO THE CABIN. WE HAD ONLY ENOUGH EMPTY PAX SEATS TO MOVE PAX SEATED (AB SEATS ONLY) 2 ROWS FORWARD AND 2 ROWS AFT OF THE CRACKED WINDOW TO OTHER SEATS. THE BEVERAGE SVC WAS STOPPED, ALL CARTS WERE PUT AWAY, AND WE PREPARED THE CABIN FOR LNDG. (AFTER NOTIFYING THE CAPT OF THESE ACTIONS WE TOOK, HE QUICKLY AGREED AND TOLD US TO TAKE OUR JUMP SEATS, ASAP, AS HE FELT THE WINDOW COULD 'GO' AT ANY TIME AND THIS WOULD RESULTS IN A MASSIVE DECOMPRESSION.) THE CAPT HAD TO SLOWLY DECOMPRESS THE CABIN WHEN HE GOT DOWN TO 10000 FT. HIS DSCNT WAS VERY SLOW DUE TO THE FRAGILITY OF THE WINDOW. MOST PAX AND CREW MEMBERS EXPERIENCED PAIN IN THE EARS FOR THE DURATION OF ABOUT 40 MINS. WE DIVERTED AND LANDED IN ZZZ, US, WITHOUT INCIDENT. (AFTER MECHS INSPECTED THE WINDOW, THEY AGREED WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT THE FLT FINISHED 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.