An A319 flight crew made an emergency descent and landing due to a cracked windshield.

Attributes
ACN	615945
Time
Date	200405
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 37000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
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
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	615945
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Side window shattered while at FL370. Unable to determine extent of damage. Elected to make emergency descent to avoid possible decompression. Initial plan was to continue towards den, but the first officer and I decided that the window was continuing to crack and we felt it would be best to get the aircraft on the ground sooner rather than later. Gjt became our new diversion airport. ACARS messages were sent to the company to alert them to our new alternate airport. ZDV was also notified. Passenger were briefed that this was a precautionary landing (brace position was not used). We did perform an overweight landing. The QRH was referenced prior to the approach in regards to overweight landing operations. Touchdown normal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 FLT CREW MADE AN EMER DSCNT AND LNDG DUE TO A CRACKED WINDSHIELD.

Narrative: SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED WHILE AT FL370. UNABLE TO DETERMINE EXTENT OF DAMAGE. ELECTED TO MAKE EMER DSCNT TO AVOID POSSIBLE DECOMPRESSION. INITIAL PLAN WAS TO CONTINUE TOWARDS DEN, BUT THE FO AND I DECIDED THAT THE WINDOW WAS CONTINUING TO CRACK AND WE FELT IT WOULD BE BEST TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. GJT BECAME OUR NEW DIVERSION ARPT. ACARS MESSAGES WERE SENT TO THE COMPANY TO ALERT THEM TO OUR NEW ALTERNATE ARPT. ZDV WAS ALSO NOTIFIED. PAX WERE BRIEFED THAT THIS WAS A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG (BRACE POS WAS NOT USED). WE DID PERFORM AN OVERWT LNDG. THE QRH WAS REFED PRIOR TO THE APCH IN REGARDS TO OVERWT LNDG OPS. TOUCHDOWN NORMAL.

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.