Narrative:

We were 1.5 hours after takeoff overwater. We encountered smoke in the cockpit and donned our masks and ran red box items. We declared emergency on 121.5 and this was relayed to center from other aircraft. We turned the aircraft towards the coast and headed to nearest airport. We ran complete QRH for smoke and fumes and looked for other QRH guidance on what was happening. We spoke with the flight attendants via interphone and they told us there was no smoke in the cabin. We searched for the cause of smoke by searching with flashlight around the cockpit; with no luck. After approximately 10-15 mins; the smoke began to clear but then it would recur; and the smell would also. We continued to try to figure out where the source of the smoke was and then we noticed shards of glass from the cockpit window flying off and hitting me in my crew position. That is when we noticed the window starting to crack near where the window heat connects to the pane. We started a descent to FL240 once we had clearance from ATC. At approximately 100 NM from the coast at 10000 ft; the window made a very loud bang and buckled. Both panes at that point shattered completely. We continued the flight into ZZZ with an uneventful landing. Crash fire rescue equipment inspected the aircraft when we landed; cleared us with no issues; and we taxied to the gate. Paramedics came on board when we got to the gate and we were taken to the hospital. We received a lot of help from ATC; and other crews. Communication was very difficult with any agency due to range and using the masks. We need to have a 'nearest airport' function on all FMS's for ease when the cockpit is smokey and it's hard to see. We need to have satcom for safety; long range HF communications with masks on is unsatisfactory. We need to have QRH procedures for what to do when the window heat smokes and how to dissipate the smoke. Also; when the window cracks. We need to have FAA; boeing; and the company take a real honest look at this systemic window heat problem; implement a fix and get the word out before another crew has to fly a B757 in the smoke with a broken window in front of them; spitting glass at them. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that there was no EICAS message or any cockpit indication to assist in identifying the source of the smoke. The QRH for smoke removal was accomplished; but the reporter believes the wording to be ambiguous. An emergency was declared on the assigned HF frequency; which was challenging wearing an oxygen mask. The flight received descent clearance and a clearance to turn toward the coast. The FMS aboard this aircraft does not have a CDU page to display the nearest airports; so airport identifiers were individually typed into the CDU to determine the closest suitable airport. As the flight descended through 10000 ft; the first officer's window shattered and buckled; spewing glass into the cockpit. It was then that an 'inoperative' light was observed in the window heat switch. The reporter is recovering from smoke inhalation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 COCKPIT WINDOW BEGAN EMITTING SMOKE; THEN SHATTERED AS THE FLT DESCENDED AND PROCEEDED FROM OFFSHORE ROUTE FOR AN EMER LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE 1.5 HRS AFTER TKOF OVERWATER. WE ENCOUNTERED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND DONNED OUR MASKS AND RAN RED BOX ITEMS. WE DECLARED EMER ON 121.5 AND THIS WAS RELAYED TO CTR FROM OTHER ACFT. WE TURNED THE ACFT TOWARDS THE COAST AND HEADED TO NEAREST ARPT. WE RAN COMPLETE QRH FOR SMOKE AND FUMES AND LOOKED FOR OTHER QRH GUIDANCE ON WHAT WAS HAPPENING. WE SPOKE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS VIA INTERPHONE AND THEY TOLD US THERE WAS NO SMOKE IN THE CABIN. WE SEARCHED FOR THE CAUSE OF SMOKE BY SEARCHING WITH FLASHLIGHT AROUND THE COCKPIT; WITH NO LUCK. AFTER APPROX 10-15 MINS; THE SMOKE BEGAN TO CLR BUT THEN IT WOULD RECUR; AND THE SMELL WOULD ALSO. WE CONTINUED TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE WAS AND THEN WE NOTICED SHARDS OF GLASS FROM THE COCKPIT WINDOW FLYING OFF AND HITTING ME IN MY CREW POS. THAT IS WHEN WE NOTICED THE WINDOW STARTING TO CRACK NEAR WHERE THE WINDOW HEAT CONNECTS TO THE PANE. WE STARTED A DSCNT TO FL240 ONCE WE HAD CLRNC FROM ATC. AT APPROX 100 NM FROM THE COAST AT 10000 FT; THE WINDOW MADE A VERY LOUD BANG AND BUCKLED. BOTH PANES AT THAT POINT SHATTERED COMPLETELY. WE CONTINUED THE FLT INTO ZZZ WITH AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. CFR INSPECTED THE ACFT WHEN WE LANDED; CLRED US WITH NO ISSUES; AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. PARAMEDICS CAME ON BOARD WHEN WE GOT TO THE GATE AND WE WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. WE RECEIVED A LOT OF HELP FROM ATC; AND OTHER CREWS. COM WAS VERY DIFFICULT WITH ANY AGENCY DUE TO RANGE AND USING THE MASKS. WE NEED TO HAVE A 'NEAREST ARPT' FUNCTION ON ALL FMS'S FOR EASE WHEN THE COCKPIT IS SMOKEY AND IT'S HARD TO SEE. WE NEED TO HAVE SATCOM FOR SAFETY; LONG RANGE HF COMS WITH MASKS ON IS UNSATISFACTORY. WE NEED TO HAVE QRH PROCS FOR WHAT TO DO WHEN THE WINDOW HEAT SMOKES AND HOW TO DISSIPATE THE SMOKE. ALSO; WHEN THE WINDOW CRACKS. WE NEED TO HAVE FAA; BOEING; AND THE COMPANY TAKE A REAL HONEST LOOK AT THIS SYSTEMIC WINDOW HEAT PROB; IMPLEMENT A FIX AND GET THE WORD OUT BEFORE ANOTHER CREW HAS TO FLY A B757 IN THE SMOKE WITH A BROKEN WINDOW IN FRONT OF THEM; SPITTING GLASS AT THEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO EICAS MSG OR ANY COCKPIT INDICATION TO ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE. THE QRH FOR SMOKE REMOVAL WAS ACCOMPLISHED; BUT THE REPORTER BELIEVES THE WORDING TO BE AMBIGUOUS. AN EMER WAS DECLARED ON THE ASSIGNED HF FREQ; WHICH WAS CHALLENGING WEARING AN OXYGEN MASK. THE FLT RECEIVED DESCENT CLRNC AND A CLRNC TO TURN TOWARD THE COAST. THE FMS ABOARD THIS ACFT DOES NOT HAVE A CDU PAGE TO DISPLAY THE NEAREST ARPTS; SO ARPT IDENTIFIERS WERE INDIVIDUALLY TYPED INTO THE CDU TO DETERMINE THE CLOSEST SUITABLE ARPT. AS THE FLT DESCENDED THROUGH 10000 FT; THE FO'S WINDOW SHATTERED AND BUCKLED; SPEWING GLASS INTO THE COCKPIT. IT WAS THEN THAT AN 'INOP' LIGHT WAS OBSERVED IN THE WINDOW HEAT SWITCH. THE REPORTER IS RECOVERING FROM SMOKE INHALATION.

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.