Air carrier flight crew reported a cracked windshield during climb. Flight crew referenced checklist and returned for an uneventful landing.
Synopsis
Air carrier flight crew reported a cracked windshield during climb. Flight crew referenced checklist and returned for an uneventful landing.
Narrative
On takeoff a large crack developed in the first officers windscreen. An associated Window overheat caution occurred a few moments later. We decided to level off at 10;000. Quickly ran through the window ovht (Overheat) checklist and turned off the associated window heat and declined to turn it back on. More hairline cracks began to develop. We had a brief discussion about inner vs outer panes and decided we could not continue on to ZZZ1. We decided to air return. We requested priority handling and we began to get vectors back to ZZZ. FO took the radios and the aircraft while I briefed the flight attendants; made a PA to the passengers; notified dispatch. I briefly attempted to call ZZZ maintenance concerned about the fact that we would be significantly overweight. They did not provide guidance and mentioned to contact Maintenance Control. I reconnected with the First Officer and we both agreed that it would be the safest course of action to simply land the aircraft. We got data and briefed the approach; subsequently ran the descent checklist. FO continued to fly the aircraft. He said his visibility was not impaired by the large crack in the windscreen. The landing was a smooth touchdown. Taxied back to gate XX and parked uneventfully.
Second reporter narrative
Brief; preflight; push back were normal. It was very cold in ZZZ; there was a low temperature of -8 degrees F and it was the first flight of the day. During preflight there was frost on the wings; so we taxied out for deice. We had an EDCT (Estimated Departure Clearance Time) of XB:21; but pushed on-time at XA:30 to ensure we didn't miss our EDCT time for a delay in de-icing. Taxi and de-ice were uneventful. We held on a taxiway for approximately 30 minutes after de-icing. We shut down one engine to save fuel but left the other engine running with APU bleed off to ensure de-ice fluid smell didn't enter the cabin. Engine start-up after the delay was uneventful and we taxied to XXL for takeoff. As we started the takeoff roll on XXL; we both noticed a small white streak on the upper left portion of the right; front windshield. It looked like a frozen streak of ice...the Captain and I both noticed it but both of us felt safe to continue. The rest of takeoff was uneventful and we brought the gear up. Soon after bringing the gear up; the white streak started to expand from the top left portion of the windscreen through the middle and all the way to the right side. We continued the climb away from the ground; started accelerating towards 250 KIAS. At 3;000' it was apparent that the windshield outer pane had cracked; as there were now spider cracks along the main crack. We also received a Right front window overheat caution light. The Captain and I decided to level off below 10;000'. I continued to fly and manage the radios while he coordinated with maintenance; dispatch; the flight attendants and told the passengers we were returning to ZZZ. We requested priority handling and an air return back to ZZZ. We were approximately 20;000 overweight for landing; but felt that landing immediately was a safer alternative than burning down gas. The approach; landing; and taxi back to the gate were uneventful and we wrote the airplane up for an the windshield crack; window overheat; and overweight landing.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.