Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chicago O'hare Iap Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chicago, Illinois 60666
Saturday, September 17, 2011 10:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The infiltration of moisture into the windshield heating layer that induced arcing in the heating system that subsequently cracked the windshield.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 9/17/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1045 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Chicago |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60666 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 430230N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0892101W |
| Event Location Airport | Chicago O'Hare IAP |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ORD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 92 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 672 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1051 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ORD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 672 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 93 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.31 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 140 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30499 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 21 2012 3:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | C-FGYL |
| NTSB Number | CEN11IA649 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 129: Foreign |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Airbus Industrie |
| Aircraft Model | A320-211 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | MSN 254 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 169500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | 4 |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 147 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 16 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 49660 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GECAS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Stamford |
| Aircraft Owner State | CT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 06927 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | AIR CANADA |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Montreal |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | CA |
| Operator Zip code | H4Y 1H4 |
| Operator Code | ARNF |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | ARNF245C |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | International |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CYYZ |
| Departure City | Toronto |
| Departure State | -- |
| Departure Country | CA |
| Departure Time | 940 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LAX |
| Destination City | Los Angeles |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 23 2012 7:39PM |
| User who most recently changed record | male |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 14R |
| Runway Length | 9685 |
| Runway Width | 200 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |