B737-300 flight crew has failure of L1 windscreen during climb to altitude. Declares emergency and returns to departure airport.

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Attributes
ACN	689839
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zla.artcc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	689839
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8800 flight time type : 26
ASRS Report	690146
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Cleared direct thermal from lax. Passing FL260; a loud bang; bright white flash heard and seen captain's upper L1 window. Simultaneously; numerous cracks radiated out from the initial area all the way across captain's windscreen. Initiated an emergency descent to 10000 ft from ZLA. Also received vectors back to lax. Notified flight attendants of return; and to get the cabin ready for landing again. Also notified los angeles operations; ant through them dispatch. Followed QRH for cracked windscreen. Made a brief PA to passenger; explained I would talk to them again on the ground as we were very busy. Got coordination with approach control; vectored to jetsa; then cleared for approach to runway 24L. Caught the cabin; approximately 5000 ft. First officer landed the aircraft uneventfully. Supplemental information from acn 690146: I performed an easy descent and leveled briefly at 10000 ft then had a conflict with a commuter at 8000 ft or 9000 ft. I made a tight turn to avoid. We landed without incident. Called off the emergency trucks and then talked to the passenger. We then taxied in and parked.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW HAS FAILURE OF L1 WINDSCREEN DURING CLB TO ALT. DECLARES EMER AND RETURNS TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: CLRED DIRECT THERMAL FROM LAX. PASSING FL260; A LOUD BANG; BRIGHT WHITE FLASH HEARD AND SEEN CAPT'S UPPER L1 WINDOW. SIMULTANEOUSLY; NUMEROUS CRACKS RADIATED OUT FROM THE INITIAL AREA ALL THE WAY ACROSS CAPT'S WINDSCREEN. INITIATED AN EMER DSCNT TO 10000 FT FROM ZLA. ALSO RECEIVED VECTORS BACK TO LAX. NOTIFIED FLT ATTENDANTS OF RETURN; AND TO GET THE CABIN READY FOR LNDG AGAIN. ALSO NOTIFIED LOS ANGELES OPS; ANT THROUGH THEM DISPATCH. FOLLOWED QRH FOR CRACKED WINDSCREEN. MADE A BRIEF PA TO PAX; EXPLAINED I WOULD TALK TO THEM AGAIN ON THE GND AS WE WERE VERY BUSY. GOT COORD WITH APCH CTL; VECTORED TO JETSA; THEN CLRED FOR APCH TO RWY 24L. CAUGHT THE CABIN; APPROX 5000 FT. FO LANDED THE ACFT UNEVENTFULLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 690146: I PERFORMED AN EASY DSCNT AND LEVELED BRIEFLY AT 10000 FT THEN HAD A CONFLICT WITH A COMMUTER AT 8000 FT OR 9000 FT. I MADE A TIGHT TURN TO AVOID. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLED OFF THE EMER TRUCKS AND THEN TALKED TO THE PAX. WE THEN TAXIED IN AND PARKED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.