Narrative:

In cruise flight, myself and first officer heard a loud pop noise -- not quite loud enough to be classified as a bang. We both looked up to see that my (the captain's) side of the forward windshield had shattered. We both immediately donned our oxygen masks and established crew communications. From there, we went through our company's QRH manual for a cracked windshield to assess the damage and the situation. We were able to determine that it was just the outer pane of the captain's forward windshield that had shattered, but that the inner pane was still intact. Aircraft was performing normal in cruise flight at FL240 and aircraft pressurization was holding. I then notified the flight attendant of the situation and then contacted our company. Still not even 1/2 way to destination, I talked with our company dispatch and maintenance control in regard to our situation with the aircraft. Instead of doing an air return to our hub with a major maintenance facility, maintenance controller and dispatch both recommended we continue the flight and contract maintenance would meet us on arrival to further assess the shattered windshield. With 42 paying passenger on board, I agreed and the rest of the flight was uneventful except for first officer having to make the landing for my view was severely limited by the shattered outer windshield. Outbound flight canceled and maintenance sent parts to repair damage. The windshield was shattered into so many small cracks that the first officer and I both agreed it was not even safe to do a part 91 ferry flight back. The contract maintenance mechanic even agreed the aircraft should be repaired before its next flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter had no feedback from maintenance as to the actual cause of the failure. He knows of no other recent failures of this type in his carrier's fleet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR EMB145R COCKPIT WINDOW OUTER PANE FAILURE AT FL240. FLT IS CONTINUED TO DEST.

Narrative: IN CRUISE FLT, MYSELF AND FO HEARD A LOUD POP NOISE -- NOT QUITE LOUD ENOUGH TO BE CLASSIFIED AS A BANG. WE BOTH LOOKED UP TO SEE THAT MY (THE CAPT'S) SIDE OF THE FORWARD WINDSHIELD HAD SHATTERED. WE BOTH IMMEDIATELY DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND ESTABLISHED CREW COMS. FROM THERE, WE WENT THROUGH OUR COMPANY'S QRH MANUAL FOR A CRACKED WINDSHIELD TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE AND THE SIT. WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT IT WAS JUST THE OUTER PANE OF THE CAPT'S FORWARD WINDSHIELD THAT HAD SHATTERED, BUT THAT THE INNER PANE WAS STILL INTACT. ACFT WAS PERFORMING NORMAL IN CRUISE FLT AT FL240 AND ACFT PRESSURIZATION WAS HOLDING. I THEN NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT OF THE SIT AND THEN CONTACTED OUR COMPANY. STILL NOT EVEN 1/2 WAY TO DEST, I TALKED WITH OUR COMPANY DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL IN REGARD TO OUR SIT WITH THE ACFT. INSTEAD OF DOING AN AIR RETURN TO OUR HUB WITH A MAJOR MAINT FACILITY, MAINT CTLR AND DISPATCH BOTH RECOMMENDED WE CONTINUE THE FLT AND CONTRACT MAINT WOULD MEET US ON ARR TO FURTHER ASSESS THE SHATTERED WINDSHIELD. WITH 42 PAYING PAX ON BOARD, I AGREED AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR FO HAVING TO MAKE THE LNDG FOR MY VIEW WAS SEVERELY LIMITED BY THE SHATTERED OUTER WINDSHIELD. OUTBOUND FLT CANCELED AND MAINT SENT PARTS TO REPAIR DAMAGE. THE WINDSHIELD WAS SHATTERED INTO SO MANY SMALL CRACKS THAT THE FO AND I BOTH AGREED IT WAS NOT EVEN SAFE TO DO A PART 91 FERRY FLT BACK. THE CONTRACT MAINT MECH EVEN AGREED THE ACFT SHOULD BE REPAIRED BEFORE ITS NEXT FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAD NO FEEDBACK FROM MAINT AS TO THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. HE KNOWS OF NO OTHER RECENT FAILURES OF THIS TYPE IN HIS CARRIER'S FLEET.

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.