Narrative:

I was on a road trip when I received a phone call from my supervisor to call maintenance control. I called maintenance control and was told that another aircraft was being diverted to my location. Maintenance control faxed me a work card number to drain water from the pitot lines. I went to the aircraft and the pilots told me what happened. The aircraft was flying in heavy rain and bad turbulence and the first officer airspeed went to zero. When the aircraft got out of heavy rain and bad turbulence; the first officer's systems came back. The write up stated the aircraft was en route at 35000 ft; a yellow IAS appeared on both airspeed tapes followed by the first officer's airspeed going to zero. There were also two other write-ups associated to the first one. I followed the work card and drained 6 to 8 inches of water from the first officer's pitot line. I called back maintenance control and told him what I found. I asked him if I had to do a pitot/static leak check and was told that it was not required because of what I found. I also asked him if he knew about the other two write-ups. Maintenance control said yes and draining off the water in accordance with the work card would sign off all three items. I signed off the items and sent the plane on its way. When I returned back to my base; I turned in my paper work to my supervisor.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane was diverted to the station where the reporter was working 'off line' on another out of service airplane. The cause of the diversion was the first officer's airspeed indicator went to zero after flying through heavy rain and turbulence. The first officer's pitot drain fitting was disconnected and an estimated 6 to 8 inches of water ran out of the tube onto the pavement. The captain's drain was disconnected and no visible moisture was noted. This was a surprise as some water was expected and reporter can't explain the huge difference.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 DIVERTED WITH THE FO'S AIRSPD INDICATOR AT ZERO. ACFT FLEW THROUGH HVY RAIN AND TURB. TECHNICIAN RPTS DRAINING 6 TO 8 INCHES OF WATER FROM PITOT DRAIN.

Narrative: I WAS ON A ROAD TRIP WHEN I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM MY SUPVR TO CALL MAINT CTL. I CALLED MAINT CTL AND WAS TOLD THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS BEING DIVERTED TO MY LOCATION. MAINT CTL FAXED ME A WORK CARD NUMBER TO DRAIN WATER FROM THE PITOT LINES. I WENT TO THE ACFT AND THE PLTS TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED. THE ACFT WAS FLYING IN HVY RAIN AND BAD TURB AND THE FO AIRSPD WENT TO ZERO. WHEN THE ACFT GOT OUT OF HVY RAIN AND BAD TURB; THE FO'S SYSTEMS CAME BACK. THE WRITE UP STATED THE ACFT WAS ENRTE AT 35000 FT; A YELLOW IAS APPEARED ON BOTH AIRSPD TAPES FOLLOWED BY THE FO'S AIRSPD GOING TO ZERO. THERE WERE ALSO TWO OTHER WRITE-UPS ASSOCIATED TO THE FIRST ONE. I FOLLOWED THE WORK CARD AND DRAINED 6 TO 8 INCHES OF WATER FROM THE FO'S PITOT LINE. I CALLED BACK MAINT CTL AND TOLD HIM WHAT I FOUND. I ASKED HIM IF I HAD TO DO A PITOT/STATIC LEAK CHK AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT REQUIRED BECAUSE OF WHAT I FOUND. I ALSO ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW ABOUT THE OTHER TWO WRITE-UPS. MAINT CTL SAID YES AND DRAINING OFF THE WATER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WORK CARD WOULD SIGN OFF ALL THREE ITEMS. I SIGNED OFF THE ITEMS AND SENT THE PLANE ON ITS WAY. WHEN I RETURNED BACK TO MY BASE; I TURNED IN MY PAPER WORK TO MY SUPVR.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS DIVERTED TO THE STATION WHERE THE RPTR WAS WORKING 'OFF LINE' ON ANOTHER OUT OF SVC AIRPLANE. THE CAUSE OF THE DIVERSION WAS THE FO'S AIRSPD INDICATOR WENT TO ZERO AFTER FLYING THROUGH HVY RAIN AND TURB. THE FO'S PITOT DRAIN FITTING WAS DISCONNECTED AND AN ESTIMATED 6 TO 8 INCHES OF WATER RAN OUT OF THE TUBE ONTO THE PAVEMENT. THE CAPT'S DRAIN WAS DISCONNECTED AND NO VISIBLE MOISTURE WAS NOTED. THIS WAS A SURPRISE AS SOME WATER WAS EXPECTED AND RPTR CAN'T EXPLAIN THE HUGE DIFFERENCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.