Service difficulty report · Windshield · Boeing 757222

Difficulty date
May 2, 2003
Submitted
May 13, 2003
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N542UA
Make and model
Boeing 757222
Aircraft serial
25276
Aircraft time
39,638 hours, 14,495 cycles
Engine
Pwa PW2037
Part
Windshield
Condition
Cracked
Location
Cockpit
Stage of operation
DE
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
O

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

1R COCKPIT WINDSHIELD CRACKED. FIRST OFFICERS WINDSHIELD STARTED ARCING IN LOWER CORNER AND PROGRESSED INTO THE WINDOW UNTIL THE WINDOW SHATTERED. FOD DAMAGED OUTER LAYER OF FIRST OFFICER'S NR 1 WINDSHIELD NEAR CENTER OF WINDSHIELD. THIS DAMAGE RESULTED IN STRESS CONCENTRATION THAT CAUSED OUTER PLY TO FAIL (CRACKED). SUBSEQUENT TO THIS FAILURE, ARCING OCCURRED AT THE BUS-BAR FOLLOWED BY SHATTERING OF OUTER WINDSHIELD PLY AND "R FWD WINDOW HEAT" EICAS MESSAGE. REPLACED FIRST OFFICER'S NR 1 WINDSHIELD ASSEMBLY. NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF MOISTURE INGRESSION WERE PRESENT THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED WINDOW FAILURE.