# Incident 20061231027639I: Piper PA31T, Omaha, NE, December 31, 2006

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 31, 2006, 19:04 local time
- Place: Omaha, NE
- Airport: Eppley Airfield
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.3032° N, 95.8941° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at EPPLEY AIRFIELD (OMA), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.3032&lon=-95.8941&mi=10
- Aircraft: N78CA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N78CA-2009-05-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31T (registry code 7103124, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31T
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20061231027639I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) N78CA, PA-31-T, WAS FLYING FROM SCOTTSBLUFF, NE TO BLOOMINGTON, IN AT 27,000 FEET IN IMC. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS -33 DEGREES CENTRIGRADE WITH ICE CRYSTALS. THE PILOT HAD THE WINDSHIELD HEAT ON. WITH NO PRIOR WARNING THE PILOT SAW A BLUE/WHITE FLASH AND THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE CO-PILOT'S WINDSHIELD CRACKED. THE PILOT REQUESTED LOWER ALTITUDE TO EQUALIZE THE PRESSURE. WHEN THE WINDSHIELD STARTED TO SHOW SIGNS OF SEPARATING AT THE CRACK, HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERTED TO OMAHA, NE. MAINTENANCE MADE A TEMPORARY REPAIR, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FERRIED TO ITS MAINTENANCE BASE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF DISCOLORATION OR CRAZING.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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