B737-300 flight crew report operating 3 flts with water leaking from overhead at row 12. At flight t...

Narrative:

We were taxiing out for takeoff when the flight attendants called the cockpit and said there appeared to be water leaking from the overhead bin area around row 12. The bin areas were searched and no items that were leaking were found. We had flown the aircraft 2 previous legs and the flight attendants had noticed condensation leaking from some of the overhead vents. I assumed this was another condensation leak. We had 1 open seat on the aircraft. I stopped the aircraft and folks were moved so that the seat in the affected area was not an issue. We proceeded and on descent into ZZZ1 the flight attendants called the cockpit again and said there was a lot of water leaking from the overhead area on both sides of row 12. This water got some of our passenger wet and they were not happy. Upon arrival; I contacted dispatch and maintenance and we decided to have the aircraft inspected by contract maintenance. We were having a crew change so I briefed the oncoming captain about the problem. In hindsight; I could have handled the situation better by either stopping the aircraft and going back into the cabin to see the problem myself; or I could have returned to the gate for maintenance to look at the problem. I assumed this was a condensation leak and didn't realize how big this leak was going to turn into and maybe could have prevented some of our passenger from getting wet. Supplemental information from acn 702934: while on taxi out we were informed by a flight attendant that water was leaking on a passenger. We stopped and asked about the rate of flow and if the leak was isolated to one area. We were informed that the flow was decreasing and that the passenger could be moved to another seat that was vacated by moving an extra flight attendant to the 4TH seat. The passenger said this was satisfactory and that they did not want to go back to the gate. En route we were informed that the flow had began again and now it was worse. We were not far from our destination so we continued to an uneventful landing. At our destination the captain informed the follow-on crew of the problem and contacted maintenance. I think the problem was caused by a clogged filter that 'let loose' resulting in the flow of water.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW RPT OPERATING 3 FLTS WITH WATER LEAKING FROM OVERHEAD AT ROW 12. AT FLT TERMINATION; WROTE LOG RPT FOR CONTRACT MAINT TO INVESTIGATE.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED THE COCKPIT AND SAID THERE APPEARED TO BE WATER LEAKING FROM THE OVERHEAD BIN AREA AROUND ROW 12. THE BIN AREAS WERE SEARCHED AND NO ITEMS THAT WERE LEAKING WERE FOUND. WE HAD FLOWN THE ACFT 2 PREVIOUS LEGS AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOTICED CONDENSATION LEAKING FROM SOME OF THE OVERHEAD VENTS. I ASSUMED THIS WAS ANOTHER CONDENSATION LEAK. WE HAD 1 OPEN SEAT ON THE ACFT. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND FOLKS WERE MOVED SO THAT THE SEAT IN THE AFFECTED AREA WAS NOT AN ISSUE. WE PROCEEDED AND ON DSCNT INTO ZZZ1 THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED THE COCKPIT AGAIN AND SAID THERE WAS A LOT OF WATER LEAKING FROM THE OVERHEAD AREA ON BOTH SIDES OF ROW 12. THIS WATER GOT SOME OF OUR PAX WET AND THEY WERE NOT HAPPY. UPON ARR; I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND MAINT AND WE DECIDED TO HAVE THE ACFT INSPECTED BY CONTRACT MAINT. WE WERE HAVING A CREW CHANGE SO I BRIEFED THE ONCOMING CAPT ABOUT THE PROB. IN HINDSIGHT; I COULD HAVE HANDLED THE SITUATION BETTER BY EITHER STOPPING THE ACFT AND GOING BACK INTO THE CABIN TO SEE THE PROB MYSELF; OR I COULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR MAINT TO LOOK AT THE PROB. I ASSUMED THIS WAS A CONDENSATION LEAK AND DIDN'T REALIZE HOW BIG THIS LEAK WAS GOING TO TURN INTO AND MAYBE COULD HAVE PREVENTED SOME OF OUR PAX FROM GETTING WET. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 702934: WHILE ON TAXI OUT WE WERE INFORMED BY A FLT ATTENDANT THAT WATER WAS LEAKING ON A PAX. WE STOPPED AND ASKED ABOUT THE RATE OF FLOW AND IF THE LEAK WAS ISOLATED TO ONE AREA. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE FLOW WAS DECREASING AND THAT THE PAX COULD BE MOVED TO ANOTHER SEAT THAT WAS VACATED BY MOVING AN EXTRA FLT ATTENDANT TO THE 4TH SEAT. THE PAX SAID THIS WAS SATISFACTORY AND THAT THEY DID NOT WANT TO GO BACK TO THE GATE. ENRTE WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE FLOW HAD BEGAN AGAIN AND NOW IT WAS WORSE. WE WERE NOT FAR FROM OUR DEST SO WE CONTINUED TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. AT OUR DEST THE CAPT INFORMED THE FOLLOW-ON CREW OF THE PROB AND CONTACTED MAINT. I THINK THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY A CLOGGED FILTER THAT 'LET LOOSE' RESULTING IN THE FLOW OF WATER.

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.

Attributes
ACN	702705
Time
Date	200607
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	702705
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 307 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	702934
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

B737-300 flight crew report operating 3 flts with water leaking from overhead at row 12. At flight termination; wrote log report for contract maintenance to investigate.