TRI STATE CHARTER LLC

JUST AS WE HAD LEVELED OFF AT 17,000 FEET AT APPROXIMATELY 1820Z ABOUT 100 MILES SOUTH OF ORL WE HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG AND THE PILOT SIDE WINDSCREEN HAD COMPLETELY SHATTERED THE OUTER GLASS PANE. WE WERE BETWEEN LAYERS IN CLEAR AIR. IT WAS A VERY WARM DAY, PROBABLY ISA PLUS 15. I WAS OFF COMM ONE GETTING THE ATIS. AS SOON AS IT HAPPENED I IMMEDIATELY LEANED OVER THE PEDESTAL AND REMAINED THERE UNTIL AFTER WE LANDED. FROM OVER THE PEDESTAL I COMMUNICATED WITH ATC, RAN THE CHECKLISTS, AND PROGRAMMED THE FMS TO THE NEW AIRPORT AND NEW APPROACH. I INSTRUCTED TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT TO THE 160 RANGE AS SOON AS HE COULD. I REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR TO A SUITABLE AIRPORT WITH EQUIPMENT AND ALSO ONE THAT WAS VMC. I ASKED FOR EQUIPMENT TO BE ROLLED AND PLACED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PLANE. HE HAD A VERY GOOD IDEA TO PLACE THE SUN SHADE BETWEEN THE WINDOW AND ME. WE DID THAT. ON INTERCEPT I FOUND US STILL 2000 FEET HIGH AND STILL FAST. I TOLD ATC WE WERE GOING TO PERFORM A LEFT 270 ACROSS FINAL. THIS WAY HE COULD FLY NORMAL SPEEDS AND NORMAL ALTITUDES. I WANTED HIS APPROACH TO BE COMPLETELY FAMILIAR. HE REQUESTED I MONITOR HIS INSTRUMENTS AND CALL OUT SPEEDS ALL THE WAY DOWN FINAL. I DID THAT. HE LANDED UNEVENTFUL.

DURING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION, RT MLG TORQUE TUBE FOUND CRACKED. THE CRACK IS APPROXIMATELY .50 INCH LONG AND IS LOCATED ON THE WELD AT THE BOSS FOR THE FORK BOLT. THE CRACK WAS DETECTED BY A VISIBLE LINE IN THE PAINT ON THE PART, BUT WHEN THE PAINT WAS REMOVED FOR A MORE THOROUGH INSPECTION, CRACK WAS OBVIOUS ONLY WHEN LIQUID PENETRANT INSPECTION WAS UTILIZED.