19990323018469I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 421C · Palm Springs, CA · March 23, 1999

Date: March 23, 1999 · 07:00 local
Place: Palm Springs, CA
Airport: Palm Springs Regional Airport
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N369NM
Reported as: Cessna 421C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,100 total300 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-5) Mr vincent merten departed brawley municipal airport, brawley, CA enroute to lancaster, CA. Mr. Merten was approaching Palm Springs, CA. In cruise at 12,500 feet when he heard a loud cracking sound, and in seconds the right windshield blew out. Mr. Merten contacted Palm Springs tower and declared an emergency. After receiving a clearance Mr. Merten landed the aircraft without incident. Mr. Merten was the sole occupant and did not receive any injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-5) MR VINCENT MERTEN DEPARTED BRAWLEY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, BRAWLEY, CA ENROUTE TO LANCASTER, CA. MR. MERTEN WAS APPROACHING PALM SPRINGS, CA. IN CRUISE AT 12,500 FEET WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD CRACKING SOUND, AND IN SECONDS THE RIGHT WINDSHIELD BLEW OUT. MR. MERTEN CONTACTED PALM SPRINGS TOWER AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. AFTER RECEIVING A CLEARANCE MR. MERTEN LANDED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. MR. MERTEN WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INJURIES.