Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Commercial
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
During flight at 4200 ft.; while recovering from a spin; in the nose down attitude with power at idle; the pilot and instructor heard a thump followed by the windscreen flying up and off of the aircraft. After noticing this the instructor took controls and gently slowed the aircraft to limit wind and noise in the cockpit. Instructor made sure aircraft was not further damaged and the pilot was uninjured. Instructor proceeded to fly the windscreenless aircraft to ZZZ; 3 miles away and make a normal landing on runway 36 without further incident.
This was an intentional spin and it appears that the lower edge of the windscreen had come free from the lower edge rather than a structural or fastner failure.
C172 flight instructor reported the windscreen departed the aircraft during recovery from an intentional spin.