WPR24LA211

The pilot of the pressurized airplane was in cruise flight at an altitude of 21,000 ft when the front windshield broke apart and the airplane depressurized. The pilot donned his oxygen mask while initiating an emergency descent, diverted to the nearest airport, and landed without further incident. Examination revealed that the center area of the windshield had departed the airplane, and portions of the windshield remained in the frame. Review of airplane records revealed that the windshield was replaced 1,972 flight hours before the accident. The windshield anti-ice hot plate was resealed several months before the accident; however, whether that maintenance contributed to the failure could not be determined.

On June 18, 2024, at 2009 mountain daylight time, a Beech 58P airplane, N9NS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Escalante, Utah. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 executive/corporate flight. The pilot stated that, while en route to his destination at a cruise altitude of 21,000 ft, the windshield broke apart without warning and he suddenly experienced the force of an explosive decompression. He donned his oxygen mask and initiated an emergency descent. He opted to divert to the nearest airport and landed without further incident at Page Municipal Airport, Page, Arizona. A postaccident examination revealed that portions of the windshield remained in the frame and the center area had departed the airplane (see Figure 1 below). A portion of the anti-ice heating element, or hot plate, remained attached to the frame. Figure 1: The Windshield After Landing A review of the airplane records revealed that it was repainted in 1993. The windshield was replaced with a new factory windshield in May 1995 at a total time of 2,284.7 hours, 1,972 hours of flight time before the accident. In April 2024, the windshield hot plate was resealed.