Narrative:

I was in cruise flight at FL210 on an IFR flight plan. I was in VMC with a solid cloud deck below. About 30 mins into the flight from cha to rwi, the copilot's windshield shattered. I was unable to determine if both the inner and outer panels were broken, or only the inner. Pieces of glass fell from the inside of the windshield onto the copilot, glare shield, and pedestal. I declared an emergency and initiated an emergency descent. I requested vectors to the nearest large airport which was avl. I had to descend through a cloud deck and shoot an ILS approach. I will have to commend ZTL and ashville approach/tower for their superb handling of the situation. Upon landing and after inspection by a mechanic, it was determined that only the inner glass had broken. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot had noticed the window delaminating about 2 weeks before the incident. He reported it in the aircraft maintenance logbook. Maintenance signed the window off as ok, as it was not in the pilot's vision. Pilot said it was the worst window he had ever seen. Then the window shattered, it sounded like a gun shot. After landing, the aircraft was inspected. They got a ferry permit from the FAA for an unpressurized flight to their maintenance facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE20 PLT HAD THE FO'S WINDOW SHATTER AT FL210.

Narrative: I WAS IN CRUISE FLT AT FL210 ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. I WAS IN VMC WITH A SOLID CLOUD DECK BELOW. ABOUT 30 MINS INTO THE FLT FROM CHA TO RWI, THE COPLT'S WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF BOTH THE INNER AND OUTER PANELS WERE BROKEN, OR ONLY THE INNER. PIECES OF GLASS FELL FROM THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD ONTO THE COPLT, GLARE SHIELD, AND PEDESTAL. I DECLARED AN EMER AND INITIATED AN EMER DSCNT. I REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE NEAREST LARGE ARPT WHICH WAS AVL. I HAD TO DSND THROUGH A CLOUD DECK AND SHOOT AN ILS APCH. I WILL HAVE TO COMMEND ZTL AND ASHVILLE APCH/TWR FOR THEIR SUPERB HANDLING OF THE SIT. UPON LNDG AND AFTER INSPECTION BY A MECH, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ONLY THE INNER GLASS HAD BROKEN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT HAD NOTICED THE WINDOW DELAMINATING ABOUT 2 WKS BEFORE THE INCIDENT. HE RPTED IT IN THE ACFT MAINT LOGBOOK. MAINT SIGNED THE WINDOW OFF AS OK, AS IT WAS NOT IN THE PLT'S VISION. PLT SAID IT WAS THE WORST WINDOW HE HAD EVER SEEN. THEN THE WINDOW SHATTERED, IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT. AFTER LNDG, THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED. THEY GOT A FERRY PERMIT FROM THE FAA FOR AN UNPRESSURIZED FLT TO THEIR MAINT FACILITY.

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.