Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Workload; Distraction
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
During takeoff (rotation); both windscreens shattered. We were able to see out of both sides. We climbed straight ahead and notified ATC of the malfunction and stated our intentions to return to the departure airport. We requested vectors back around to give us time to run the QRH; send the diversion report; ACARS Dispatch; run checklists; [alert] the Flight Attendant; notify passengers; etc. We did declare an emergency. Once we were ready; we let ATC know and we were vectored for a visual approach to the runway. We were experiencing moderate turbulence due to high winds in the area so I decided to land overweight so as not to stay airborne any longer than we needed to. We landed on the runway (smooth touchdown 200 FPM) with no further problems and taxied to gate. Called Maintenance and wrote up the defects and overweight landing. We swapped aircraft and did our turn with no problems. Both the First Officer and Flight Attendant did an excellent job during the event. [We had] slight vision impairment due to shattered windscreens [also] gusty conditions on the ground and turbulent in-flight conditions. I have never seen both windscreens shatter like that before.
The winds were gusty out of the west-northwest at 25-30 KTS and the reporter stated that he had rudder and aileron inputs to counter the weather veining. When the nose came off the ground during rotation; the reporter stated; 'It was like someone flipped a switch that made both windshields crack simultaneously.' He personally suspects that the fuselage may have been momentarily tweaked by the wind and the crosswind corrections. The windshield heat was ON and the OAT was around 50F at the time of the event. The mechanics stated that they had never seen simultaneous windshields crack.
We had to ask ATC three times before they finally gave us a vector back East due to other traffic; despite us already declaring an emergency and reporting the turbulence. After running all appropriate checklists and contacting our company and operations we returned to departure airport where the Captain made a very soft over-weight landing. According to the Flight Attendant some passengers were crying and one had vomited in the aisle. In addition to the obvious threat of obscured vision and extreme damage to the windshields as well as the uncertainty of the structural integrity of the inner panes; several other threats occurred. The wind and turbulence in the area this day was horrible with some of the worst turbulence I have ever experienced giving me more doubt about the safety of the windshields. It was a dual FMS aircraft and while I was attempting to type the diversion report; the ACARS on my side failed. I then had to reach across the thrust levers to type on the Captain's side where it was difficult to type especially with the turbulence. The CDU initially did not accept the text I had just typed and was attempting to line select. Both of these latter problems from my experience are rather common and have not been fixed or not even addressed to my knowledge. In an emergency especially; I feel our safety was degraded by the failure of the ACARS and time I wasted sending a diversion report on equipment that was not working properly. Overall I feel the Captain and I had good CRM and worked well together. He was very calm and procedural while delegating responsibility to me as he continued to fly. I am honestly very concerned about the safety of my Company and in particular about the maintenance practices of this airline. I have noticed more MEL's on the airplanes and more incidents occurring due to cutting costs.  Understanding that mistakes happen; I am angered that both windshields would break on takeoff with no apparent cause besides design flaw or improper maintenance endangering the lives of the passengers and crew. I have been flying the EMB-145 for nearly 5 years and as a pilot I am not phased by that much; but I was admittedly scared by this event.
Both forward windshields on an EMB145 shattered during rotation for takeoff. An emergency was declared and the aircraft returned to the departure airport after delayed ATC vectors in moderate to severe turbulence.