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An MD80 in cruise at FL310 declared an emergency and diverted due to first officer windshield failure.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 606259 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200401 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 606259 |
| 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 : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
During cruise flight at FL310, the R1 windshield, at the top right corner, started to turn a dark brown color and crack. We accomplished the windshield/window failure or anti-ice inoperative procedure. After completing the procedure, the windshield continued to crack more and more at a very fast rate. At this point, I thought the structural integrity of the windshield was going to become compromised. We declared an emergency with ATC, descended to 10,000 ft MSL coordinated with dispatch briefed the flight attendants and passenger of our situation and plan to land at ZZZ international airport. We landed at XB26 local without further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the first officer's windshield upper right corner began to turn a dark brown color and then started to crack in a maple leaf shape about the size of your hand. The reporter said the outer glass pane over this maple leaf shape departed the aircraft and then upper corner arcing and more cracking continued. The reporter stated from the upper right corner a brown substance was melting and oozing over the right eyebrow window. The reporter said the first officer was moved out of the right seat until a lower altitude was reached due to window structural integrity. The reporter stated for certain the outer pane failed reporter is uncertain if any inner pane failed. The melting and brown material on the eyebrow window was of great concern.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD80 IN CRUISE AT FL310 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO FO WINDSHIELD FAILURE.
Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT FL310, THE R1 WINDSHIELD, AT THE TOP R CORNER, STARTED TO TURN A DARK BROWN COLOR AND CRACK. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE WINDSHIELD/WINDOW FAILURE OR ANTI-ICE INOPERATIVE PROC. AFTER COMPLETING THE PROC, THE WINDSHIELD CONTINUED TO CRACK MORE AND MORE AT A VERY FAST RATE. AT THIS POINT, I THOUGHT THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS GOING TO BECOME COMPROMISED. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC, DESCENDED TO 10,000 FT MSL COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH BRIEFED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AND PAX OF OUR SITUATION AND PLAN TO LAND AT ZZZ INTL ARPT. WE LANDED AT XB26 LCL WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE FO'S WINDSHIELD UPPER R CORNER BEGAN TO TURN A DARK BROWN COLOR AND THEN STARTED TO CRACK IN A MAPLE LEAF SHAPE ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR HAND. THE RPTR SAID THE OUTER GLASS PANE OVER THIS MAPLE LEAF SHAPE DEPARTED THE ACFT AND THEN UPPER CORNER ARCING AND MORE CRACKING CONTINUED. THE RPTR STATED FROM THE UPPER R CORNER A BROWN SUBSTANCE WAS MELTING AND OOZING OVER THE R EYEBROW WINDOW. THE RPTR SAID THE FO WAS MOVED OUT OF THE R SEAT UNTIL A LOWER ALT WAS REACHED DUE TO WINDOW STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY. THE RPTR STATED FOR CERTAIN THE OUTER PANE FAILED RPTR IS UNCERTAIN IF ANY INNER PANE FAILED. THE MELTING AND BROWN MATERIAL ON THE EYEBROW WINDOW WAS OF GREAT CONCERN.
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.