A TURBO COMMANDER 690C WAS DISPATCHED ON A MAINT FERRY IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A CRACKED COCKPIT WINDOW THAT WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A LICENSED TECHNICIAN AS SAFE TO FLY.

Narrative

WHILE ON VECTOR FROM ZNY AT FL270 L-HAND OVERHEAD WINDOW CRACKED CAUSING A RAPID DECOMPRESSION OF THE CABIN. ALL CREW DONNED OXYGEN AND RAPID DSCNT STARTED. SUBSEQUENTLY ZNY CLRED US TO 10000 FT. I WAS ASKED IF I WISHED TO DECLARE THE EMER TO WHICH I REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. WE RECEIVED PRIORITY HANDLING BY ALL SUBSEQUENT CTLRS AND THE REMAINDER OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG AT JFK AND XFERRING THE PATIENT TO THE WAITING GND AMBULANCE I CONTACTED THE COMPANY'S GENERAL MGR. WE DISCUSSED SEVERAL POSSIBLE SCENARIOS FOR THE RETURN OF THE ACFT TO HOME BASE FOR REPAIRS. THE FINAL DECISION WAS TO RETURN PART 91 UNPRESSURIZED. I THEN CONTACTED OUR DIRECTOR OF MAINT. EXPLAINED THE CRACKED WINDOW. I WAS NOT VERY CLR ABOUT THE ENTIRE INCIDENT WHICH MISLED OUR DIRECTOR OF MAINT TO AGREE WITH OUR GENERAL MGR AND I TO FLY THE ACFT UNPRESSURIZED. FOLLOWING DAY RETURNED TO HOME BASE LOW ALT AND UNPRESSURIZED. THIS OF COURSE WAS A BIG MISTAKE. THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE VERY LEAST BEEN LOOKED AT BY A MECH AND OBTAINED A FERRY PERMIT FOR THE RETURN.