A B737 crew, departing bwi, experienced a cracked cockpit window, spawning a return to bwi.

Attributes
ACN	562484
Time
Date	200210
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : bwi.vortac
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi.tracon
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	562484
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Climbing out of bwi at XA00Z at 8000 ft MSL, R2 window outer pane cracked due to overheat. Leveled at 10000 ft MSL. ATC gave delay vectors while we worked the problem. Abnormal says no operating restrs and continued climb through 17000 ft when interior pane cracked. Advised ATC we would return to land. Initial request was to return to iad (for better maintenance) but reconsidered and returned to bwi. Requested descent, ATC advised we needed to climb for traffic then descend. We didn't have an emergency but controller required we use emergency authority/authorized to get approach, then gave us the clearance and quick vectors back to bwi. Landed uneventfully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CREW, DEPARTING BWI, EXPERIENCED A CRACKED COCKPIT WINDOW, SPAWNING A RETURN TO BWI.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF BWI AT XA00Z AT 8000 FT MSL, R2 WINDOW OUTER PANE CRACKED DUE TO OVERHEAT. LEVELED AT 10000 FT MSL. ATC GAVE DELAY VECTORS WHILE WE WORKED THE PROB. ABNORMAL SAYS NO OPERATING RESTRS AND CONTINUED CLB THROUGH 17000 FT WHEN INTERIOR PANE CRACKED. ADVISED ATC WE WOULD RETURN TO LAND. INITIAL REQUEST WAS TO RETURN TO IAD (FOR BETTER MAINT) BUT RECONSIDERED AND RETURNED TO BWI. REQUESTED DSCNT, ATC ADVISED WE NEEDED TO CLB FOR TFC THEN DSND. WE DIDN'T HAVE AN EMER BUT CTLR REQUIRED WE USE EMER AUTH TO GET APCH, THEN GAVE US THE CLRNC AND QUICK VECTORS BACK TO BWI. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.

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.