Narrative:

This incident took place on board the ATR42, a 46 seat aircraft with a crew of 3. I was doing the initial operating experience on a new-hire flight attendant. They boarded our 30 passenger and it was pretty chaotic because of the rain. In chicago, our passenger have to be escorted on the ramp to the aircraft. They are often exposed to the inclement WX and all other dangerous conditions on the tarmac. The new hire closed the door and took up the count while I observed. This segment was going to be the training flight attendant's check ride. We were still sitting at the gate when a passenger called me up because water was leaking out between the overhead bins. This is not unusual on these aircraft. Somehow the water gets in and leaks only in this one specific place on both sides of the aircraft. It comes out from between the overhead bins at row 5, I believe. Once we start to pressurize after takeoff, it stops leaking. I ran back to get some towels and started plugging the leak up when it started leaking on the other side as well. Now I am standing there arms out feeling a little like moses. I turned my head and saw at least 4 passenger headed up the aisle towards me. I am holding these towels trying to stop the water from pouring on the passenger and now I am trying to get out of the way so these people can get by. All of a sudden they (the flight crew) takeoff out of gate at a faster speed than usual. I am asking, 'what in the heck is going on?' my training flight attendant says, 'he told me to move them.' but she did not know who (the captain or first officer) was talking to her. Now passenger are standing up to let the passenger who were being moved into the window seats. I started instructing the passenger to situation down right now. Because I was in the forward portion of the cabin, I could not get to the interphone to tell them to stop so it seemed more logical to rush the passenger into the nearest seat. After they were seated, I was starting back to call the cockpit about the flooding, but the passenger in the direct vicinity of the leak stopped me to assure me they didn't mind the leak, also to please not take them back to the gate to get it fixed. I knew it was time to put my foot down because this whole situation was getting out of control. I went back and called the crew to tell them about the leaks and also that there were people standing when they were taxiing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSTRUCTOR CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS THAT HER COCKPIT CREW TAXIED WITH PAX STANDING AND THAT THERE IS AN ACFT EQUIP PROB THE ATR42 CAN LEAK WATER INTO THE CABIN DURING RAINSTORMS ON THE GND. THERE IS NO WATER LEAKAGE IN THE AIR.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON BOARD THE ATR42, A 46 SEAT ACFT WITH A CREW OF 3. I WAS DOING THE INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE ON A NEW-HIRE FLT ATTENDANT. THEY BOARDED OUR 30 PAX AND IT WAS PRETTY CHAOTIC BECAUSE OF THE RAIN. IN CHICAGO, OUR PAX HAVE TO BE ESCORTED ON THE RAMP TO THE ACFT. THEY ARE OFTEN EXPOSED TO THE INCLEMENT WX AND ALL OTHER DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ON THE TARMAC. THE NEW HIRE CLOSED THE DOOR AND TOOK UP THE COUNT WHILE I OBSERVED. THIS SEGMENT WAS GOING TO BE THE TRAINING FLT ATTENDANT'S CHK RIDE. WE WERE STILL SITTING AT THE GATE WHEN A PAX CALLED ME UP BECAUSE WATER WAS LEAKING OUT BTWN THE OVERHEAD BINS. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL ON THESE ACFT. SOMEHOW THE WATER GETS IN AND LEAKS ONLY IN THIS ONE SPECIFIC PLACE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT. IT COMES OUT FROM BTWN THE OVERHEAD BINS AT ROW 5, I BELIEVE. ONCE WE START TO PRESSURIZE AFTER TKOF, IT STOPS LEAKING. I RAN BACK TO GET SOME TOWELS AND STARTED PLUGGING THE LEAK UP WHEN IT STARTED LEAKING ON THE OTHER SIDE AS WELL. NOW I AM STANDING THERE ARMS OUT FEELING A LITTLE LIKE MOSES. I TURNED MY HEAD AND SAW AT LEAST 4 PAX HEADED UP THE AISLE TOWARDS ME. I AM HOLDING THESE TOWELS TRYING TO STOP THE WATER FROM POURING ON THE PAX AND NOW I AM TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY SO THESE PEOPLE CAN GET BY. ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY (THE FLC) TKOF OUT OF GATE AT A FASTER SPD THAN USUAL. I AM ASKING, 'WHAT IN THE HECK IS GOING ON?' MY TRAINING FLT ATTENDANT SAYS, 'HE TOLD ME TO MOVE THEM.' BUT SHE DID NOT KNOW WHO (THE CAPT OR FO) WAS TALKING TO HER. NOW PAX ARE STANDING UP TO LET THE PAX WHO WERE BEING MOVED INTO THE WINDOW SEATS. I STARTED INSTRUCTING THE PAX TO SIT DOWN RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE I WAS IN THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE CABIN, I COULD NOT GET TO THE INTERPHONE TO TELL THEM TO STOP SO IT SEEMED MORE LOGICAL TO RUSH THE PAX INTO THE NEAREST SEAT. AFTER THEY WERE SEATED, I WAS STARTING BACK TO CALL THE COCKPIT ABOUT THE FLOODING, BUT THE PAX IN THE DIRECT VICINITY OF THE LEAK STOPPED ME TO ASSURE ME THEY DIDN'T MIND THE LEAK, ALSO TO PLEASE NOT TAKE THEM BACK TO THE GATE TO GET IT FIXED. I KNEW IT WAS TIME TO PUT MY FOOT DOWN BECAUSE THIS WHOLE SIT WAS GETTING OUT OF CTL. I WENT BACK AND CALLED THE CREW TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE LEAKS AND ALSO THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE STANDING WHEN THEY WERE TAXIING.

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.