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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A B757 flight crew spills ice on the radio pedestal resulting in damage to the radios, causing intermittent radio and transponder operation. This happened in mkjk airspace.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 413257 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199809 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mbj |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : mkjk |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 413257 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We were cruising at FL370. I reached down to get some ice from the tray behind the pedestal. The ice bag appeared to be sealed so I picked it up. Approximately 3 cups of ice flew forward onto the pedestal. We quickly brushed the ice cubes back onto the floor and wiped up the water drops from the pedestal. After I picked the ice cubes off the floor we noted that the transponder appeared to be intermittent. During the flight the xponders, the left VHF radio control head, and the ACARS control head were intermittent. We noted the event and indications in the aircraft log upon arrival. Today I learned that some parts had to be replaced which caused a flight to be canceled. I am really sorry that I was the cause of all this. I was being careful but bad things happened anyway. I was really surprised by the ramifications of so little water on the pedestal. We did not think that any water got below the surface of the pedestal, but obviously it did.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B757 FLC SPILLS ICE ON THE RADIO PEDESTAL RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE RADIOS, CAUSING INTERMITTENT RADIO AND XPONDER OP. THIS HAPPENED IN MKJK AIRSPACE.
Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT FL370. I REACHED DOWN TO GET SOME ICE FROM THE TRAY BEHIND THE PEDESTAL. THE ICE BAG APPEARED TO BE SEALED SO I PICKED IT UP. APPROX 3 CUPS OF ICE FLEW FORWARD ONTO THE PEDESTAL. WE QUICKLY BRUSHED THE ICE CUBES BACK ONTO THE FLOOR AND WIPED UP THE WATER DROPS FROM THE PEDESTAL. AFTER I PICKED THE ICE CUBES OFF THE FLOOR WE NOTED THAT THE XPONDER APPEARED TO BE INTERMITTENT. DURING THE FLT THE XPONDERS, THE L VHF RADIO CTL HEAD, AND THE ACARS CTL HEAD WERE INTERMITTENT. WE NOTED THE EVENT AND INDICATIONS IN THE ACFT LOG UPON ARR. TODAY I LEARNED THAT SOME PARTS HAD TO BE REPLACED WHICH CAUSED A FLT TO BE CANCELED. I AM REALLY SORRY THAT I WAS THE CAUSE OF ALL THIS. I WAS BEING CAREFUL BUT BAD THINGS HAPPENED ANYWAY. I WAS REALLY SURPRISED BY THE RAMIFICATIONS OF SO LITTLE WATER ON THE PEDESTAL. WE DID NOT THINK THAT ANY WATER GOT BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE PEDESTAL, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT DID.
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.