Cracked Windshield

[KA100flyer]

As much as I don't want to, I'll keep the airline and flight # anonymous. 3 days ago over central WI. while with ORD center a CRJ experienced a cracked windshield. They determined they needed to descend to 12,000 ft. They also were wearing their O2 masks. They passed ORD,MKE,GRR,LAN, and everything else inbetween. We were following them on our #2 comm. Multiple controllers asked what their intentions were. The pilots responded by "we talking with dispatch and checking our fuel". 22 miles from DTW, which was their destination, they finally declared an emergency and asked them to have ARFF standing by. Before they asked for the ARFF at DTW and the controller asked where they wanted to go. The pilot responded "will continue to our destination since it's our closeest airport.

 

[KA100flyer]

Hit the wrong button. Wasn't done typing yet. Doesn't it seem odd they were 250-300 miles away, descended to 12,000 ft, were wearing their O2 masks, and asked for ARFF but didn't declare an emergency until the closest airport was their destination. I would have been down long before that. Any opinions?

 

[AviatorTx]

I don't think a cracked windshield is that big of a deal. Especially if it was just one or two layers, which is normally the case. YES, I still would have followed the QRH (O2, and normal descent), but once I got to the lower altitude and everything was OK, I still probably would have continued.

IMHO, the screw up: Declaring the emergency THEN passing all of those airports. I think the feds will have 'em for breakfast over this one. Once I got to the lower altitude and all was fine, I would not have declared.

Regardless, I am not going to throw rocks. Things like this are too easy to Monday morning quarterback. If they got everyone to their destination safely, good for them.

 

[GINCHBLASTER]

Maybe there was no reason for the emergency when they passed those other airports? Then all of a sudden the situation became worse and they decided to declare. I'm right with AviatorTx, never try to say "they should have done this".

 

[logolight]

The CRJ's windscreen is three layers. Usualy it's the middle layer that cracks because that's the one that is heated. Never the less when it does happen it usualy shatters to the point where you cant' see out the window. I've never had it happen to me but I hear that it's a loud "bang" and you want to get down quickly.

 

[DrProc]

I've had 5 windshields shatter or crack on me in jets, all non-events. I even ferried an airplane back from Caracas with a shattered windshield. One was in the CRJ and it shattered the two outer layers. I have never heard of anyone losing pressurization due to a cracked windshield. But, none the less, I would never second guess a pilot who diverted or continued.

 

[CarjCapt]

Cracked CRJ Windows

After three cracked windows (one FO side), it is a non event. Refer to the QRH and you will understand.

Although the first one, on the FO's side. was fun. It was his leg and when it happened, at 27,000 ft decending, he ducked and said calmly "it's your controls". We did a quasi emer decent to 10K checked the QRH and found it no big deal. We were only about 70 miles from our destination. At the gate the mechanic found the outer pane broke and the aircraft was ferried to the maintenance base.

Note: the ferry info had to come from Bombardier with specific info about that paticular aircraft by serial number.

Wooohooo what a career.

 

[tej823]

Had experience with cracked windows...the only problem with continuing is if a big enough piece comes off the outer panes and gets sucked into the engine(s), we go from a ferriable non-event to a single engine operation.

The above scenario happened on a corporate airplane but the window to aircraft engine location creates the potential for a problem.

I never try to second guess the guy flying, only try to think through all the possiblities...usually an expeditious landing while inconvienient may be prudent.

 

[densoo]

I know of a guy who almost got sucked out when a windshield cracked all the way through and failed. He now wears his shoulder harness all the time, even at cruise for several hours.

 

[GogglesPisano]

I know of a guy who almost got sucked out when a windshield cracked all the way through and failed. He now wears his shoulder harness all the time, even at cruise for several hours.

I seem to remember a BA BAC 1-11 pilot who was sucked forward out through his windscreen and held on to his life with his fingers. This was back on the 1980's.

 

[StarChecker]

I don't think a cracked windshield is that big of a deal. Especially if it was just one or two layers, which is normally the case. YES, I still would have followed the QRH (O2, and normal descent), but once I got to the lower altitude and everything was OK, I still probably would have continued.

I had the same thing climbing through 11,000 feet...except our QRH says turn off the windshield heats and if only the outer layer is cracked...continue the flight.

We thought better of continuing to climb to 350 and flying for another hour, so we diverted to JFK.

I love reading how woefully inadequate our QRH is....

 

[dash8driver]

Hit the wrong button. Wasn't done typing yet. Doesn't it seem odd they were 250-300 miles away, descended to 12,000 ft, were wearing their O2 masks, and asked for ARFF but didn't declare an emergency until the closest airport was their destination. I would have been down long before that. Any opinions?

it depends on whether it was on the captains side or the FO's side.





.

 

[logolight]

I had the same thing climbing through 11,000 feet...except our QRH says turn off the windshield heats and if only the outer layer is cracked...continue the flight.

We thought better of continuing to climb to 350 and flying for another hour, so we diverted to JFK.

I love reading how woefully inadequate our QRH is....

I kind of wonder how one can actually determine from inside if it's the middle or the outer layer that's cracked.

QRH:

Tap on windscreen. Windscreen pops off.

Yes.
Land at nearest suitable airport

No.
No further action required.


End QRH

 

[wndshr]

Maybe there was no reason for the emergency when they passed those other airports? Then all of a sudden the situation became worse and they decided to declare. I'm right with AviatorTx, never try to say "they should have done this".

the acid test is this: if your wife, daughters and little boy were on that plane with your parents (maybe that isn't a good example LOL) what would you want the pilot to do?

my vote if it were my family in the back??? get them off the plane and get them on a good plane...PERIOD!

with pax onboard: nobody will ever fault you for being too conservative, but i guarantee you and your family will FRY if you choose to be the cowboy!

 

[BigShotXJTdrvr]

I seem to remember a BA BAC 1-11 pilot who was sucked forward out through his windscreen and held on to his life with his fingers. This was back on the 1980's.

It was not caused by the windshield cracking or failing. They used screws that were not the correct size. The screws failed, and the entire windshield blew out of its frame, taking the pilot outside the plane until they landed. The wind in the face wasn't the worst part. The worst part was he almost froze to death hanging outside the plane on the way down.

 

[TCAS]

The cracked windshield is not the problem...

Most aircraft FOM's require you to decend to a lower altitude to remove some of the differential pressure on the cracked window pane. What does become a safety issue then is the increased fuel consumption at the lower altitude and whether or not you'll have enough fuel with reserves to continue on to your destination.

 

[JumpCaptain]

I seem to remember a BA BAC 1-11 pilot who was sucked forward out through his windscreen and held on to his life with his fingers. This was back on the 1980's.

It was back in 1990. Here's the flight attendant's version.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/02/06/1107625054101.html?from=top5

 

[Gorilla]

It was not caused by the windshield cracking or failing. They used screws that were not the correct size. The screws failed, and the entire windshield blew out of its frame, taking the pilot outside the plane until they landed. The wind in the face wasn't the worst part. The worst part was he almost froze to death hanging outside the plane on the way down.

What did they do? Slow the airplane down to near stall and try to drag him back in? More importantly, what was his seniority number relative to the other dude?