Narrative:

I did the takeoff. After passing through acceleration ht; we experienced a loud air blast noise in the cockpit. From what I made out; the loud air blast noise was coming from the captain's direct vision window. I pushed the direct vision window handle to see if it wasn't closed properly. It was closed properly and it was checked 'closed left' on the before taxi checklist. I was unable to hear the ATC controller's instruction and the first officer's communication. I turned up my communication volume for the headset to hear some instruction given by ATC and instruction repeated back by the first officer. I loudly told the first officer that we need to return to land at ZZZ. The loud air blast noise in the cockpit was unsafe to continue the flight. I told the first officer that we are not declaring an emergency and that we are just doing a precautionary landing. The landing was a success with a taxi back to the gate. Dispatch and maintenance control were notified at the gate. After landing and taxiing back to the gate; I noticed pieces of the captain's direct vision window was hanging off from the window and maintenance control confirmed that the seal came completely off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 EXPERIENCED A LOUD AIR NOISE AFTER TAKEOFF WHEN THE CAPTAIN'S DIRECT VISION WINDOW SEAL DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT.

Narrative: I DID THE TKOF. AFTER PASSING THROUGH ACCELERATION HT; WE EXPERIENCED A LOUD AIR BLAST NOISE IN THE COCKPIT. FROM WHAT I MADE OUT; THE LOUD AIR BLAST NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE CAPT'S DIRECT VISION WINDOW. I PUSHED THE DIRECT VISION WINDOW HANDLE TO SEE IF IT WASN'T CLOSED PROPERLY. IT WAS CLOSED PROPERLY AND IT WAS CHKED 'CLOSED L' ON THE BEFORE TAXI CHKLIST. I WAS UNABLE TO HEAR THE ATC CTLR'S INSTRUCTION AND THE FO'S COM. I TURNED UP MY COM VOLUME FOR THE HEADSET TO HEAR SOME INSTRUCTION GIVEN BY ATC AND INSTRUCTION REPEATED BACK BY THE FO. I LOUDLY TOLD THE FO THAT WE NEED TO RETURN TO LAND AT ZZZ. THE LOUD AIR BLAST NOISE IN THE COCKPIT WAS UNSAFE TO CONTINUE THE FLT. I TOLD THE FO THAT WE ARE NOT DECLARING AN EMER AND THAT WE ARE JUST DOING A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. THE LNDG WAS A SUCCESS WITH A TAXI BACK TO THE GATE. DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL WERE NOTIFIED AT THE GATE. AFTER LNDG AND TAXIING BACK TO THE GATE; I NOTICED PIECES OF THE CAPT'S DIRECT VISION WINDOW WAS HANGING OFF FROM THE WINDOW AND MAINT CTL CONFIRMED THAT THE SEAL CAME COMPLETELY OFF.

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.