How Dangerous Are Cracks In Aircraft Windshields?

On Saturday, January 13, an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight was forced to return to its original airport. The flight crew reported a cracked windshield on the aircraft, and the flight crew elected to divert back to its departure airport. Cracks on windshields occur much more often than travelers think, although they do not always result in diversion or cause serious incidents.