Narrative:

Location: just north of runway 35L, takeoff. After takeoff at about 2000 ft, I noticed that the first officer's window was cracked. It was a small area in the lower r-hand corner. My concern was that as the airplane pressurized the cracks would spread to the entire windshield. I elected to return to dfw. I advised departure control in my first radio transmission that we had a cracked window and would need to return to dfw. They began to vector us for landing as we climbed to 6000 ft. I did not declare an emergency because we did not require special handling. We just needed to fly a normal approach and land. I made a PA to advise the passenger and flight attendants. Then I called ramp to advise them of our impending return and asked them to advise maintenance. As you are aware this was a very busy time. I should have called dispatch in a perfect world per the new procedures. In reality, this new requirement did not even cross my mind. If I had thought of it, I do not think that I would have had time to contact dispatch in this situation. They always seem to take their time answering the radio. My first priority is the safe operation of the airplane. In my opinion downwind, base or final is not the place to be trying to talk to dispatch. That said, I will try to contact dispatch the next time something like this happens.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN S80 PIC NOTES A CRACKED FO WINDOW AND RETURN LAND WITHOUT ADVISING DISPATCHER AS PER NEW PROC AT DFW, TX.

Narrative: LOCATION: JUST N OF RWY 35L, TKOF. AFTER TKOF AT ABOUT 2000 FT, I NOTICED THAT THE FO'S WINDOW WAS CRACKED. IT WAS A SMALL AREA IN THE LOWER R-HAND CORNER. MY CONCERN WAS THAT AS THE AIRPLANE PRESSURIZED THE CRACKS WOULD SPREAD TO THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. I ELECTED TO RETURN TO DFW. I ADVISED DEP CTL IN MY FIRST RADIO XMISSION THAT WE HAD A CRACKED WINDOW AND WOULD NEED TO RETURN TO DFW. THEY BEGAN TO VECTOR US FOR LNDG AS WE CLBED TO 6000 FT. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE WE DID NOT REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING. WE JUST NEEDED TO FLY A NORMAL APCH AND LAND. I MADE A PA TO ADVISE THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS. THEN I CALLED RAMP TO ADVISE THEM OF OUR IMPENDING RETURN AND ASKED THEM TO ADVISE MAINT. AS YOU ARE AWARE THIS WAS A VERY BUSY TIME. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED DISPATCH IN A PERFECT WORLD PER THE NEW PROCS. IN REALITY, THIS NEW REQUIREMENT DID NOT EVEN CROSS MY MIND. IF I HAD THOUGHT OF IT, I DO NOT THINK THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD TIME TO CONTACT DISPATCH IN THIS SIT. THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO TAKE THEIR TIME ANSWERING THE RADIO. MY FIRST PRIORITY IS THE SAFE OP OF THE AIRPLANE. IN MY OPINION DOWNWIND, BASE OR FINAL IS NOT THE PLACE TO BE TRYING TO TALK TO DISPATCH. THAT SAID, I WILL TRY TO CONTACT DISPATCH THE NEXT TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS.

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.