Narrative:

Experienced a cracked windshield cruising at FL330. There was no arcing; fumes; glass discoloration or any other warning that the windshield was going to fail. Position report was made to commercial radio service. Captain instructed me to make a pan call to commercial radio service. Two were made and commercial radio service was unresponsive. Captain turned east off airway; commenced descent to FL250 and a cabin altitude of 9200 ft was selected per QRH. Captain xferred control of aircraft to me and instructed me to declare an emergency with commercial radio service. He started transmitting on VHF guard and declared an emergency. Center responded and instructed us to switch to his frequency. Before establishing contact with center several more emergency calls were attempted on HF with commercial radio service. They remained unresponsive. Reception was not the issue because we'd just made a position report. It was the pan and emergency calls that left the commercial radio service operator clueless. Once established at FL250 with cabin altitude of 9200 ft; maximum differential pressure was 5.2 psi. A slow speed/descent was made to an uneventful landing at ZZZ. Arff assets rolled out but were not required. It is the 21ST century. Why we are still doing business; in the oceanic airspace; like this; is beyond me. The lack of response from commercial radio service wasted time and critical/limited cockpit assets during an emergency. This has significant negative safety impact potential. Pilots should have direct access to ATC anywhere in the world in light of current available technology. They should not have to deal with intermediary radio clerks that do not know what they are doing. Typically; we don't find out this condition exists; until it is too late during an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR ACFT'S WINDSHIELD CRACKED FLYING AN OCEANIC ROUTE. THE ACFT NEEDED TO DSND BUT COMS RELAYED THOUGH A COM RADIO SERVICE WERE POOR SO AN EMER WAS DECLARED.

Narrative: EXPERIENCED A CRACKED WINDSHIELD CRUISING AT FL330. THERE WAS NO ARCING; FUMES; GLASS DISCOLORATION OR ANY OTHER WARNING THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS GOING TO FAIL. POS RPT WAS MADE TO COMMERCIAL RADIO SVC. CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE A PAN CALL TO COMMERCIAL RADIO SVC. TWO WERE MADE AND COMMERCIAL RADIO SVC WAS UNRESPONSIVE. CAPT TURNED E OFF AIRWAY; COMMENCED DSCNT TO FL250 AND A CABIN ALT OF 9200 FT WAS SELECTED PER QRH. CAPT XFERRED CTL OF ACFT TO ME AND INSTRUCTED ME TO DECLARE AN EMER WITH COMMERCIAL RADIO SVC. HE STARTED XMITTING ON VHF GUARD AND DECLARED AN EMER. CTR RESPONDED AND INSTRUCTED US TO SWITCH TO HIS FREQ. BEFORE ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH CTR SEVERAL MORE EMER CALLS WERE ATTEMPTED ON HF WITH COMMERCIAL RADIO SVC. THEY REMAINED UNRESPONSIVE. RECEPTION WAS NOT THE ISSUE BECAUSE WE'D JUST MADE A POS RPT. IT WAS THE PAN AND EMER CALLS THAT LEFT THE COMMERCIAL RADIO SVC OPERATOR CLUELESS. ONCE ESTABLISHED AT FL250 WITH CABIN ALT OF 9200 FT; MAX DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE WAS 5.2 PSI. A SLOW SPD/DSCNT WAS MADE TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT ZZZ. ARFF ASSETS ROLLED OUT BUT WERE NOT REQUIRED. IT IS THE 21ST CENTURY. WHY WE ARE STILL DOING BUSINESS; IN THE OCEANIC AIRSPACE; LIKE THIS; IS BEYOND ME. THE LACK OF RESPONSE FROM COMMERCIAL RADIO SVC WASTED TIME AND CRITICAL/LIMITED COCKPIT ASSETS DURING AN EMER. THIS HAS SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE SAFETY IMPACT POTENTIAL. PLTS SHOULD HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO ATC ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IN LIGHT OF CURRENT AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY. THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH INTERMEDIARY RADIO CLERKS THAT DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. TYPICALLY; WE DON'T FIND OUT THIS CONDITION EXISTS; UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE DURING AN EMER.

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.