Service difficulty report · Windshield · Swrngn SA226TC

Difficulty date
February 17, 2009
Submitted
April 9, 2009
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Swrngn SA226TC
Aircraft time
33,513 hours
Engine
Garrtt TPE33110UA
Propeller
Hartzl HCE4N3
Part
Windshield
Part number
2719442004
Condition
Delaminated
Location
Cockpit
Part time
2,751 hours
Stage of operation
CR
How discovered
V
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
A

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

What was found

(CAN) FLIGHT CREW REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: APPROX TEN MINUTES AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 17000 FT, THE CREW NOTED THAT THE F/O SIDE WINDSHIELD HAD SEVERAL SMALL CRACKS IN THE TOP RT CORNER AS WELL AS ONE LARGER CRACK THAT LOOKED SIMILAR TO WHEN A ROCK HITS A CAR WINDSHIELD. THEY COULD ALSO SEE SMALL FRAGMENTS OF GLASS SLIDING DOWN IN BETWEEN WHAT APPEARED TO BE TWO PANES OF GLASS. THE CREW WAS NOT SURE AT WHAT POINT DURING THE FLIGHT THE PROBLEMS STARTED TO OCCUR, BUT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS EARLIER IN THE MORNING. MX EXAMINED THE WINDSHIELD AND FOUND MAJOR DELAMINATION AND CRACKS ON THE WINDOW. IN VARIOUS AREAS AROUND THE WINDOW THE INNER PANE WAS BEGINNING TO SEPARATE FROM THE OUTER PANE AND OVER TIME MAY HAVE FALLEN INWARD. THIS COMPANY HAD A SIMILAR FAILURE A FEW MONTHS AGO IN WHICH THE INNER PANE SEPARATED, FELL INWARD TOWARDS THE CREW IN THE COCKPIT. MX HAS REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD AND RETURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO SERVICE.