ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 314460
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| Date: | Saturday 17 September 2011 |
| Time: | 09:45 LT |
| Type: |  Airbus A320-211 |
| Owner/operator: | Air Canada |
| Registration: | C-FGYL |
| MSN: | 254 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1991 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 49660 hours |
| Engine model: | CFMI CFM56-5A1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 140 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Chicago, Illinois -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ/CYYZ) |
| Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The first officer's (FO) windshield cracked during cruise flight. The crack subsequently progressed into multiple multidirectional cracks that obscured the FO's view through the window. The flight crew was unable to determine the severity of the cracks and diverted without further incident. A postincident examination of the windshield revealed an area of arcing located along the electrical bus bar at the lower edge of the windshield, near the forward corner. This location coincided with the area in which the power and sensing element wires were routed around the structural glass plies. The area of arcing was surrounded by a cloudy and degraded interlayer, which was consistent with the presence of moisture. A section of the moisture seal was worn and appeared to have been repaired, resulting in moisture ingress. The moisture degraded the interlayer and electrical system resulting in a discontinuity that led to electrical arcing and failure of the heating system causing the windshield cracking. The latest windshield revisions, with part numbers NP-165331-1/-2, are available and include enhancements that reduce the potential for moisture ingress and its subsequent effects on the electrical system.
Probable Cause: The infiltration of moisture into the windshield heating layer that induced arcing in the heating system that subsequently cracked the windshield.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN11IA649
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Jun-2023 17:34 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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