Narrative:

Cockpit crew found on morning preflight a failure of the #1 captain primary flight display (pfd). A contract mechanic working under my supervision was instructed to swap the captain's pfd with the first officer's navigation display and to apply MEL 34-00-41I -- 'first officer navigation display inoperative.' when the captain's pfd was removed from the instrument panel, it was wet on the outside. It was dried off and installed in the first officer's navigation display position. No water accumulation was noticed inside the captain's instrument panel. The contract mechanic checked the fasteners on the captain's wiper arm, and rain repellent nozzle, and fasteners were retightened. Captain's pfd was reinstalled. Aircraft was dispatched per the MEL. On descent into ZZZ2, crew noticed electrical smell, haze in cockpit, donned oxygen masks. Maintenance in ZZZ2 confirmed first officer's navigation display (previously in captain's pfd position) was source of odor and haze. After pushback from gate, captain observed more water from glare shield area above instrument panel by windshield, but did not report it to mechanic in ZZZ. Aircraft was taken OTS in ZZZ2. Captain's pfd was wet again and replaced. Placarded first officer navigation display was replaced. All 3 windshields were removed and water was discovered in sill areas. All were reinstalled, retorqued and resealed. First officer and captain's wiper arm grommets were replaced. Note that MEL 34-00-41I does not require any circuit breakers be pulled to comply with MEL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED MOISTURE COVERING THE CAPT'S PRIMARY FLT INST. CHKED FOR SOURCE OF WATER. TIGHTENED WIPER GASKETS.

Narrative: COCKPIT CREW FOUND ON MORNING PREFLT A FAILURE OF THE #1 CAPT PRIMARY FLT DISPLAY (PFD). A CONTRACT MECH WORKING UNDER MY SUPERVISION WAS INSTRUCTED TO SWAP THE CAPT'S PFD WITH THE FO'S NAV DISPLAY AND TO APPLY MEL 34-00-41I -- 'FO NAV DISPLAY INOP.' WHEN THE CAPT'S PFD WAS REMOVED FROM THE INST PANEL, IT WAS WET ON THE OUTSIDE. IT WAS DRIED OFF AND INSTALLED IN THE FO'S NAV DISPLAY POS. NO WATER ACCUMULATION WAS NOTICED INSIDE THE CAPT'S INST PANEL. THE CONTRACT MECH CHKED THE FASTENERS ON THE CAPT'S WIPER ARM, AND RAIN REPELLENT NOZZLE, AND FASTENERS WERE RETIGHTENED. CAPT'S PFD WAS REINSTALLED. ACFT WAS DISPATCHED PER THE MEL. ON DSCNT INTO ZZZ2, CREW NOTICED ELECTRICAL SMELL, HAZE IN COCKPIT, DONNED OXYGEN MASKS. MAINT IN ZZZ2 CONFIRMED FO'S NAV DISPLAY (PREVIOUSLY IN CAPT'S PFD POS) WAS SOURCE OF ODOR AND HAZE. AFTER PUSHBACK FROM GATE, CAPT OBSERVED MORE WATER FROM GLARE SHIELD AREA ABOVE INST PANEL BY WINDSHIELD, BUT DID NOT RPT IT TO MECH IN ZZZ. ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS IN ZZZ2. CAPT'S PFD WAS WET AGAIN AND REPLACED. PLACARDED FO NAV DISPLAY WAS REPLACED. ALL 3 WINDSHIELDS WERE REMOVED AND WATER WAS DISCOVERED IN SILL AREAS. ALL WERE REINSTALLED, RETORQUED AND RESEALED. FO AND CAPT'S WIPER ARM GROMMETS WERE REPLACED. NOTE THAT MEL 34-00-41I DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY CIRCUIT BREAKERS BE PULLED TO COMPLY WITH MEL.

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.