A B737-500 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE FO'S #4 EYEBROW WINDOW INNER PANE CRACKED AND DEFERRED WITH NO LIMITS.

Narrative

UPON ARR TO THE ACFT (B737-500; #XYZ); I FOUND THE #4 WINDOW (EYEBROW) ABOVE MY SEAT CRACKED. I NOTIFIED THE CAPT AND WENT OUTSIDE TO ACCOMPLISH THE EXTERIOR ACFT INSPECTION. BY THE TIME I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT; THE CAPT HAD NOTIFIED MAINT AND WROTE UP THE DISCREPANCY IN THE ACFT LOG. A MECH WAS IN THE COCKPIT SIGNING OFF THE DISCREPANCY WHILE SHOWING US PHOTOCOPIED PAGES FROM THE ACFT MAINT MANUAL OUTLINING PROCS FOR CRACKED WINDOWS. AS IT TURNS OUT; THE INNER WINDOW PANE IS STRUCTURAL; AND THAT IS ADDRESSED IN THE MAINT MANUAL. THE MIDDLE PANE IS NOT ADDRESSED IN THE MANUAL; THEREFORE; NO MAINT PROCS ADDRESS A CRACKED MIDDLE PANE. THE FIRST LEG WENT UNEVENTFULLY TO DFW. WHILE INFLT; CAPT CALLED DISPATCH AND ASKED THE DISPATCHER TO CHK INTO THE CRACKED WINDOW AND TO ADVISE MAINT CTL. I CHKED THE ACFT MEL; AND A CRACKED WINDOW HAS NO PROC -- EITHER MAINT OR OPERATIONALLY. CAPT; HOWEVER; FOUND A PROC IN THE ACFT QRH ADDRESSING A CRACKED WINDOW THAT RECOMMENDS AN ALT OF FL260 AND A MAX DIFFERENTIAL OF 5 PSI. THE NEXT LEG WAS REDISPATCHED TO COMPLY WITH THE ALT RESTR; WITH FUEL ADDED ALSO. UPON ARR IN EWR; THE CAPT REMAINED WITH THE ACFT TO ENSURE THE NEW CREW WAS AWARE OF THE QRH RESTRS AND TO COORDINATE THEIR CRUISE ALT; FUEL; ETC WITH THEIR DISPATCHER.