Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Training / Qualification; Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Declared Emergency; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Chart Or Publication; Procedure
During cruise at FL290; we heard a loud pop and looked up to see the Captain's front windshield completely cracked. I continued to fly the plane while my First Officer started to work through the QRH. I declared an emergency and began to slow down. ATC advised us of several airports nearby; including one which was around 70 NM away. Considering our altitude; we decided on that airport as by the time we would have descended we would be there. During the process of reading the QRH; my First Officer asked me about the passenger oxygen; it was listed as 'as required'. The pressurization was holding; but to my mind it did not seem like a very bad idea. At that time we did not deploy the masks. The checklist then directed my First Officer to the Manual Pressurization Checklist in the QRH. While working that checklist; he mistakenly started reading the checklist immediately above it titled 'Oxygen-PASS OXY Auto Deploy Failure' This checklist directs us to manually deploy the masks. He asked me about it; and I glanced at the checklist and said that if the checklist calls for it then do it. Again; at the time it seemed like a good thing to have the masks down above FL200 with a cracked windshield. It was after we landed that we discussed the O2 masks; and we read through the QRH at a more leisurely pace and realized where we got off track in the checklist. As my First Officer was reaching up to adjust the manual pressurization; he lost his place on the checklist and started on the checklist above. Having already discussed the O2 masks earlier we were primed to see it again and were not surprised by it. We did deploy the masks; and continued the checklist for Manual Pressurization. Once the checklists' were complete; I transferred the controls to my First Officer since I would have a hard time seeing out of my windshield. I called the Flight Attendant to inform her of our situation. I had also sent an ACARS message to Dispatch. We landed a short time later and canceled the emergency once we cleared the runway.
A CRJ200 Captain's windshield cracked at FL290 so an emergency was declared and the flight diverted to a nearby airport where the crew discussed the checklist confusion over oxygen mask deployment after diverging erroneously to the 'Oxygen-PASS OXY Auto Deploy Failure'.