B737-300 FLT CREW HAS FAILURE OF L1 WINDSCREEN DURING CLB TO ALT. DECLARES EMER AND RETURNS TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative

CLRED DIRECT THERMAL FROM LAX. PASSING FL260; A LOUD BANG; BRIGHT WHITE FLASH HEARD AND SEEN CAPT'S UPPER L1 WINDOW. SIMULTANEOUSLY; NUMEROUS CRACKS RADIATED OUT FROM THE INITIAL AREA ALL THE WAY ACROSS CAPT'S WINDSCREEN. INITIATED AN EMER DSCNT TO 10000 FT FROM ZLA. ALSO RECEIVED VECTORS BACK TO LAX. NOTIFIED FLT ATTENDANTS OF RETURN; AND TO GET THE CABIN READY FOR LNDG AGAIN. ALSO NOTIFIED LOS ANGELES OPS; ANT THROUGH THEM DISPATCH. FOLLOWED QRH FOR CRACKED WINDSCREEN. MADE A BRIEF PA TO PAX; EXPLAINED I WOULD TALK TO THEM AGAIN ON THE GND AS WE WERE VERY BUSY. GOT COORD WITH APCH CTL; VECTORED TO JETSA; THEN CLRED FOR APCH TO RWY 24L. CAUGHT THE CABIN; APPROX 5000 FT. FO LANDED THE ACFT UNEVENTFULLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 690146: I PERFORMED AN EASY DSCNT AND LEVELED BRIEFLY AT 10000 FT THEN HAD A CONFLICT WITH A COMMUTER AT 8000 FT OR 9000 FT. I MADE A TIGHT TURN TO AVOID. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLED OFF THE EMER TRUCKS AND THEN TALKED TO THE PAX. WE THEN TAXIED IN AND PARKED.