Narrative:

On preflight water was flowing from lower aft fuselage. Maintenance said it was ice melting. From the condensation maintenance said it amounted to 500 pounds. Aircraft had been on ground lax 7-10 hours west/O ice melting. Other known occurrences of ice include 1 with ice from main gear to APU door. The question becomes how much ice is ok. How do you calculate runway limit, performance limit, crs maximum gross weight and cg with unknown quantities of internal ice. I believe ice comes from broken water lines. No corrective action was taken, nor is any expected due to on time performance priorities. Management could care less. If aircraft cannot takeoff with wing or tail ice they should not be able to takeoff with unknown internal ice. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information: discrepancy found on preflight at lax. Aircraft had been on the ground 10 hours and maintenance still felt no problem. Seems the drain holes freeze preventing the water removal resulting in freezing when the aircraft reaches crs levels. Has discussed with flight manager and has received no satisfaction that anything is being done. Suggested he contact the FAA hotline and bring it to their attention. Sighted other cases involving the same problem one where the fill line to the fresh water tank had broken and the water was pumped directly into the belly of the aircraft. Company ground personnel had left the area account the very cold conditions and was monitoring the filling from the ramp shack. Crew reported the aircraft was the worst flying aircraft they had ever been in. Reporter did indicate the aircraft is having corrosion problems as a result of this spillage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WATER ACCUMULATING IN THE BELLY OF WDB, THEN FREEZING WHEN CRUISE ALT REACHED.

Narrative: ON PREFLT WATER WAS FLOWING FROM LOWER AFT FUSELAGE. MAINT SAID IT WAS ICE MELTING. FROM THE CONDENSATION MAINT SAID IT AMOUNTED TO 500 LBS. ACFT HAD BEEN ON GND LAX 7-10 HRS W/O ICE MELTING. OTHER KNOWN OCCURRENCES OF ICE INCLUDE 1 WITH ICE FROM MAIN GEAR TO APU DOOR. THE QUESTION BECOMES HOW MUCH ICE IS OK. HOW DO YOU CALCULATE RWY LIMIT, PERFORMANCE LIMIT, CRS MAX GROSS WT AND CG WITH UNKNOWN QUANTITIES OF INTERNAL ICE. I BELIEVE ICE COMES FROM BROKEN WATER LINES. NO CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN, NOR IS ANY EXPECTED DUE TO ON TIME PERFORMANCE PRIORITIES. MGMNT COULD CARE LESS. IF ACFT CANNOT TKOF WITH WING OR TAIL ICE THEY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TKOF WITH UNKNOWN INTERNAL ICE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO: DISCREPANCY FOUND ON PREFLT AT LAX. ACFT HAD BEEN ON THE GND 10 HRS AND MAINT STILL FELT NO PROB. SEEMS THE DRAIN HOLES FREEZE PREVENTING THE WATER REMOVAL RESULTING IN FREEZING WHEN THE ACFT REACHES CRS LEVELS. HAS DISCUSSED WITH FLT MGR AND HAS RECEIVED NO SATISFACTION THAT ANYTHING IS BEING DONE. SUGGESTED HE CONTACT THE FAA HOTLINE AND BRING IT TO THEIR ATTN. SIGHTED OTHER CASES INVOLVING THE SAME PROB ONE WHERE THE FILL LINE TO THE FRESH WATER TANK HAD BROKEN AND THE WATER WAS PUMPED DIRECTLY INTO THE BELLY OF THE ACFT. CGP HAD LEFT THE AREA ACCOUNT THE VERY COLD CONDITIONS AND WAS MONITORING THE FILLING FROM THE RAMP SHACK. CREW RPTED THE ACFT WAS THE WORST FLYING ACFT THEY HAD EVER BEEN IN. RPTR DID INDICATE THE ACFT IS HAVING CORROSION PROBS AS A RESULT OF THIS SPILLAGE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.