Narrative:

Reassigned to fly aircraft X. Aircraft had returned to ZZZ after its previous takeoff because of a 'pop' heard after takeoff. The copilot's eyebrow window was replaced by a contract mechanic the night before in ZZZ and the previous crew heard a pop and air noise; and elected to return to ZZZ. When we were assigned the aircraft; I spoke to maintenance control in order to determine the maintenance status of the aircraft. He explained the previous crew's return and the subsequent findings that the speed tape applied over the fresh sealant had departed the aircraft and that most likely; that was the source of the pop sound. He relayed that the ZZZ contract mechanic had again re-torqued all of the windshield bolts and again re-taped over the sealant with speed tape. He and I and the copilot agreed that the aircraft was airworthy for the flight. At approximately 3000 ft on climb out of ZZZ; we too heard a 'pop' and watched the speed tape peel up; hit the fuselage above the window; and again depart the aircraft. There were no pressurization issues; the window was secure; there was no air noise or leak apparent. We asked for an intermediate altitude leveloff and the copilot assumed the flying and communication duties. I immediately initiated a phone patch with maintenance control and dispatch and we ascertained that the window was secure; there was no pressure leak; and that simply the speed tape had (again) departed the aircraft. It was also decided that it was safe to continue and that there was no mechanical need to return to ZZZ. We continued uneventfully. A concern is the efficacy of the repair the contract mechanic in ZZZ made; which partially failed 2 times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-500 FLT CREW ASSIGNED TO AN ACFT THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY RETURNED TO GATE FOR 'POP' NOISE AFTER A CO-PILOT'S EYEBROW WINDOW CHANGE BY CONTRACT MAINT; ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME 'POP' NOISE AT APPROX 3000 FT. SPEED TAPE LIFTED.

Narrative: REASSIGNED TO FLY ACFT X. ACFT HAD RETURNED TO ZZZ AFTER ITS PREVIOUS TKOF BECAUSE OF A 'POP' HEARD AFTER TKOF. THE COPLT'S EYEBROW WINDOW WAS REPLACED BY A CONTRACT MECH THE NIGHT BEFORE IN ZZZ AND THE PREVIOUS CREW HEARD A POP AND AIR NOISE; AND ELECTED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. WHEN WE WERE ASSIGNED THE ACFT; I SPOKE TO MAINT CTL IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE MAINT STATUS OF THE ACFT. HE EXPLAINED THE PREVIOUS CREW'S RETURN AND THE SUBSEQUENT FINDINGS THAT THE SPEED TAPE APPLIED OVER THE FRESH SEALANT HAD DEPARTED THE ACFT AND THAT MOST LIKELY; THAT WAS THE SOURCE OF THE POP SOUND. HE RELAYED THAT THE ZZZ CONTRACT MECH HAD AGAIN RE-TORQUED ALL OF THE WINDSHIELD BOLTS AND AGAIN RE-TAPED OVER THE SEALANT WITH SPD TAPE. HE AND I AND THE COPLT AGREED THAT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY FOR THE FLT. AT APPROX 3000 FT ON CLBOUT OF ZZZ; WE TOO HEARD A 'POP' AND WATCHED THE SPD TAPE PEEL UP; HIT THE FUSELAGE ABOVE THE WINDOW; AND AGAIN DEPART THE ACFT. THERE WERE NO PRESSURIZATION ISSUES; THE WINDOW WAS SECURE; THERE WAS NO AIR NOISE OR LEAK APPARENT. WE ASKED FOR AN INTERMEDIATE ALT LEVELOFF AND THE COPLT ASSUMED THE FLYING AND COM DUTIES. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A PHONE PATCH WITH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH AND WE ASCERTAINED THAT THE WINDOW WAS SECURE; THERE WAS NO PRESSURE LEAK; AND THAT SIMPLY THE SPEED TAPE HAD (AGAIN) DEPARTED THE ACFT. IT WAS ALSO DECIDED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO CONTINUE AND THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL NEED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. WE CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. A CONCERN IS THE EFFICACY OF THE REPAIR THE CONTRACT MECH IN ZZZ MADE; WHICH PARTIALLY FAILED 2 TIMES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.