Narrative:

I was the only controller on duty during the mid-shift on 3/sun/90. At approximately XC30 1 of the ceiling tiles above ground control position ripped open and water began to pour down from the ceiling, creating an extreme electrical hazard. I immediately grabbed a trash can and positioned it to catch as much water as possible, but I was unable to contain it all. Airport operations were advised and they contacted airport maintenance for me for I, being alone on the shift, was unable to control aircraft, utilize the phone and try to prevent equipment from being damaged by the water coming down. Trying to catch the water and dry equipment created another electrical shock hazard, for I had to stand on a now soaked carpet while plugged into position making things very uneasy for me knowing I could get injured from electrical shock, but the equipment needed to be dried because, again, I was the only person in the facility and there were no maintenance personnel available to call to either turn the equipment off or check for possible short damage. Other positions were also in danger of ceiling tiles splitting and water coming through, and when bldg maintenance came by they left some extra plastic and tape in case it did. They did tape plastic to the tower window to channel the water into a bucket instead of on the equipment, however additional leaks did occur and I and other controllers who had by this time (XF00) come on duty hung more plastic to catch and channel these leaks into the bucket. There is little doubt in my mind that I or anyone else been plugged into ground position would have been injured by electrical shock or by the ceiling tile, or by the overhead lights, had they fallen due to the weight of the water being retained by the tiles. These were extremely hazardous working conditions. Supplemental information from acn 139601: I was the day watch supervisor and observed the entire south section of the tower cabin ceiling had been saturated from the rain due to leaks in the tower's roof. In order to protect the equipment plastic sheeting had to be placed over a large area (1/2 of the entire tower console) of the equipment. This caused a major inconvenience to the controllers and operation to the routine in the tower. During this period visibility out of the tower was restr due to the protective covering over the equipment. The entire situation was handled as best it could under the circumstances, but did cause a major safety hazard for both controllers and the flying public.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WATER LEAK IN TWR ROOF CAUSES SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH ATC PERSONNEL AND AIR TRAFFIC.

Narrative: I WAS THE ONLY CTLR ON DUTY DURING THE MID-SHIFT ON 3/SUN/90. AT APPROX XC30 1 OF THE CEILING TILES ABOVE GND CTL POS RIPPED OPEN AND WATER BEGAN TO POUR DOWN FROM THE CEILING, CREATING AN EXTREME ELECTRICAL HAZARD. I IMMEDIATELY GRABBED A TRASH CAN AND POSITIONED IT TO CATCH AS MUCH WATER AS POSSIBLE, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO CONTAIN IT ALL. ARPT OPS WERE ADVISED AND THEY CONTACTED ARPT MAINT FOR ME FOR I, BEING ALONE ON THE SHIFT, WAS UNABLE TO CTL ACFT, UTILIZE THE PHONE AND TRY TO PREVENT EQUIP FROM BEING DAMAGED BY THE WATER COMING DOWN. TRYING TO CATCH THE WATER AND DRY EQUIP CREATED ANOTHER ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARD, FOR I HAD TO STAND ON A NOW SOAKED CARPET WHILE PLUGGED INTO POS MAKING THINGS VERY UNEASY FOR ME KNOWING I COULD GET INJURED FROM ELECTRICAL SHOCK, BUT THE EQUIP NEEDED TO BE DRIED BECAUSE, AGAIN, I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE FAC AND THERE WERE NO MAINT PERSONNEL AVAILABLE TO CALL TO EITHER TURN THE EQUIP OFF OR CHK FOR POSSIBLE SHORT DAMAGE. OTHER POSITIONS WERE ALSO IN DANGER OF CEILING TILES SPLITTING AND WATER COMING THROUGH, AND WHEN BLDG MAINT CAME BY THEY LEFT SOME EXTRA PLASTIC AND TAPE IN CASE IT DID. THEY DID TAPE PLASTIC TO THE TWR WINDOW TO CHANNEL THE WATER INTO A BUCKET INSTEAD OF ON THE EQUIP, HOWEVER ADDITIONAL LEAKS DID OCCUR AND I AND OTHER CTLRS WHO HAD BY THIS TIME (XF00) COME ON DUTY HUNG MORE PLASTIC TO CATCH AND CHANNEL THESE LEAKS INTO THE BUCKET. THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT I OR ANYONE ELSE BEEN PLUGGED INTO GND POS WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURED BY ELECTRICAL SHOCK OR BY THE CEILING TILE, OR BY THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS, HAD THEY FALLEN DUE TO THE WT OF THE WATER BEING RETAINED BY THE TILES. THESE WERE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS WORKING CONDITIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 139601: I WAS THE DAY WATCH SUPVR AND OBSERVED THE ENTIRE S SECTION OF THE TWR CABIN CEILING HAD BEEN SATURATED FROM THE RAIN DUE TO LEAKS IN THE TWR'S ROOF. IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE EQUIP PLASTIC SHEETING HAD TO BE PLACED OVER A LARGE AREA (1/2 OF THE ENTIRE TWR CONSOLE) OF THE EQUIP. THIS CAUSED A MAJOR INCONVENIENCE TO THE CTLRS AND OPERATION TO THE ROUTINE IN THE TWR. DURING THIS PERIOD VISIBILITY OUT OF THE TWR WAS RESTR DUE TO THE PROTECTIVE COVERING OVER THE EQUIP. THE ENTIRE SITUATION WAS HANDLED AS BEST IT COULD UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT DID CAUSE A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD FOR BOTH CTLRS AND THE FLYING PUBLIC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.