Cessna Windshield Broke

[pelmet]

One has to wonder about the shape of the windshield prior to takeoff. I have definitely seen a few with cracks over the years. Has anybody seen something like this happen.....

C-FPXQ, a privately registered Cessna 172E aircraft, was conducting a local sightseeing flight
from Port Elgin (CNL4), ON with 1 pilot and 1 passenger onboard. While in flight at 5500 feet near
Chatsworth, ON at approximately 22 nm East of CNL4, a section of the windshield separated and
the majority of the pieces entered the cockpit. Three pieces have been located and the largest one
struck the pilot who sustained minor injuries from the impact. The windshield pieces landed on the
pilot and passenger laps. The pilot estimated that about 85% of the windshield remained intact.
There were no evidences of birds or other objects that could have caused an external impact. After
confirming that the aircraft remained operable, the pilot returned to land at CNL4 without further
incident. No emergency declared.

[PilotDAR]

Cessna windshields have been known to crack in a smile shape at the bottom of where the compass block is glued on. Thereafter, the crack may extend from the center out to the wing roots. It happened to a friend of mine, the passenger held the compass the whole way back, the they were okay, I helped to change the cracked windshield. If you see a crack in a Cessna windshield at the glued on compass block, don't fly the plane.

[pelmet]

Cessna windshields have been known to crack in a smile shape at the bottom of where the compass block is glued on. Thereafter, the crack may extend from the center out to the wing roots. It happened to a friend of mine, the passenger held the compass the whole way back, the they were okay, I helped to change the cracked windshield. If you see a crack in a Cessna windshield at the glued on compass block, don't fly the plane.

Interesting. I have seen that scenario before although with a straight horizontal crack. Flew quite a few hours on the machine before it was finally grounded for replacement.

I also flew another Cessna where a crack emanated from the lower side but it had wire cross hatching like stitches for a repair.

[lownslow]

The report is all fine and good, but... how windy was it in there?

[NotDirty!]

The report is all fine and good, but... how windy was it in there?

36070G100?

[2R]

I have lost the top left quarter of 172 windscreen in a spin recovery . Could not control the oscillations below 90 knots . Hard to control pitch below 90 knots so I landed at 90 knots . Expected a long roll out , but the drag slowed the plane down and the expected fencing damage did not happen . The cause was too much silicone sealant had gone hard and no flex left . Any pressure from the wing flex went straight onto the windscreen . Quite a few 172 in Boundary Bay had the hard silicone removed and felt re- installed with just a little bead of silicone after that . The student made key chain fobs out of that windscreen .

[PilotDAR]

Any pressure from the wing flex went straight onto the windscreen

Ah, yes... Not exactly wing flex, but rather fuselage flex at the forward door posts, which is what the new AD is all about. As is clear, the windshield cannot carry fuselage flexing loads.

[2R]

I had read about phugoid oscillations in a book . Seeing one and fighting to get back pitch control got my full attention . I did manage to talk the student back into the air after the plane was fixed . That was harder than the spin recovery

[trey kule]

Years ago, I had a piece about 8 inches square break out of a C140 windshield and go straight into my passenger’s face breaking his nose.

It was found that the wrong model windscreen had been installed in the aircraft during a rebuild. Seemed to fit fine, but there was obviously pressure and stress there.

I have to wonder with so many models of C172, if there are different windshields.

[2R]

Did your C140 have the wooden dowel in the middle of the yoke ? For pilots that learned to fly with a stick . You can fly the 140 just like a stick plane using the dowel as a stick . Just a fun bird .

[trey kule]

Nope.