B757-200
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Diverted; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
At FL370 during normal cruise; Captain's left windshield (outer windscreen) shattered causing zero forward visibility. Structural integrity was suspect and couldn't be confirmed due to nighttime conditions. Declared an emergency and descended to 10;000 FT. ATC had to move a [another] flight out of the way for the descent. ATC Controller did a fine job of coordinating for descent and divert. [We] landed uneventfully.
After normal takeoff and climb to FL370; we were established in cruise flight when we noticed a glow at the base of the Captain's windshield. Suspecting that arcing was occurring; the Captain; as Pilot Not Flying; had just begun to look in the QRH when we heard a very loud pop as the outer pane of the Captain's windshield shattered.
B757 flight crew reported the Captain's windshield shattered at FL370. Flight declared an emergency and diverted to a nearby suitable airport.