Flooding of aft cabin with potable water forces diversion of B777-200 for maintenance.

Attributes
ACN	775589
Time
Date	200802
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : zzz.vortac
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	775587
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

At cruise; flight attendant called cockpit to inform me coach cabin flooding with overflow from lavatory complex at door 3R. Purser; relief pilot and several other flight attendants attempted to stop water flow with blankets and shut off water valve in both lavatories that were side by side. Water pouring out of top of the lavatory; flooding most of aft cabin and soaking carpet and passenger's baggage stored under seats. Got patch to dispatch and maintenance control and determined water solenoid to lavatory 'pre-flush' must've failed and that water was not 'waste' but potable water with some residual waste from inside toilet. Passenger sitting in affected area thought they smelled waste and were not happy about continuing to destination. Maintenance control; dispatch; cabin crew and pilots all in agreement best course of action to divert to ZZZ1 to repair or replace aircraft. Redispatched to ZZZ1; received ATC clearance and proceeded to ZZZ1 landing approximately 2 hours after initial notification of spill. Reviewed flight manual additionals/irregulars for overweight landing and received all applicable ZZZ1 WX and NOTAM information plus landing data since not intended destination and overweight landing. Chose longest runway in use and landed with autobrakes 4; stopping in normal distance without heavy braking. Maintenance found water pouring from belly drain onto ramp and leaking in aft pit area below coach area. Aircraft had same leak at door 2L 4 days prior again soaking aft cabin flooring. Received several ACARS messages from crew desk below sterile cockpit altitude asking us to waive duty time limits or offering incentive pay to waive after telling them 2 hours prior we would abide by contract. We thought these were messages from dispatch who was continuing to send us NOTAM information; etc; and found it distracting to be dealing with crew desk messages during sterile cockpit. Dispatch and maintenance control were excellent and very supportive in giving me the information I wanted to determine best course of action. My first officer's and cabin crew all did an outstanding job completing their duties and providing input to address the situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLOODING OF AFT CABIN WITH POTABLE WATER FORCES DIVERSION OF B777-200 FOR MAINTENANCE.

Narrative: AT CRUISE; FLT ATTENDANT CALLED COCKPIT TO INFORM ME COACH CABIN FLOODING WITH OVERFLOW FROM LAVATORY COMPLEX AT DOOR 3R. PURSER; RELIEF PLT AND SEVERAL OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS ATTEMPTED TO STOP WATER FLOW WITH BLANKETS AND SHUT OFF WATER VALVE IN BOTH LAVATORIES THAT WERE SIDE BY SIDE. WATER POURING OUT OF TOP OF THE LAVATORY; FLOODING MOST OF AFT CABIN AND SOAKING CARPET AND PAX'S BAGGAGE STORED UNDER SEATS. GOT PATCH TO DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL AND DETERMINED WATER SOLENOID TO LAVATORY 'PRE-FLUSH' MUST'VE FAILED AND THAT WATER WAS NOT 'WASTE' BUT POTABLE WATER WITH SOME RESIDUAL WASTE FROM INSIDE TOILET. PAX SITTING IN AFFECTED AREA THOUGHT THEY SMELLED WASTE AND WERE NOT HAPPY ABOUT CONTINUING TO DEST. MAINT CTL; DISPATCH; CABIN CREW AND PLTS ALL IN AGREEMENT BEST COURSE OF ACTION TO DIVERT TO ZZZ1 TO REPAIR OR REPLACE ACFT. REDISPATCHED TO ZZZ1; RECEIVED ATC CLRNC AND PROCEEDED TO ZZZ1 LNDG APPROX 2 HRS AFTER INITIAL NOTIFICATION OF SPILL. REVIEWED FLT MANUAL ADDITIONALS/IRREGULARS FOR OVERWT LNDG AND RECEIVED ALL APPLICABLE ZZZ1 WX AND NOTAM INFO PLUS LNDG DATA SINCE NOT INTENDED DEST AND OVERWT LNDG. CHOSE LONGEST RWY IN USE AND LANDED WITH AUTOBRAKES 4; STOPPING IN NORMAL DISTANCE WITHOUT HVY BRAKING. MAINT FOUND WATER POURING FROM BELLY DRAIN ONTO RAMP AND LEAKING IN AFT PIT AREA BELOW COACH AREA. ACFT HAD SAME LEAK AT DOOR 2L 4 DAYS PRIOR AGAIN SOAKING AFT CABIN FLOORING. RECEIVED SEVERAL ACARS MESSAGES FROM CREW DESK BELOW STERILE COCKPIT ALT ASKING US TO WAIVE DUTY TIME LIMITS OR OFFERING INCENTIVE PAY TO WAIVE AFTER TELLING THEM 2 HRS PRIOR WE WOULD ABIDE BY CONTRACT. WE THOUGHT THESE WERE MESSAGES FROM DISPATCH WHO WAS CONTINUING TO SEND US NOTAM INFO; ETC; AND FOUND IT DISTRACTING TO BE DEALING WITH CREW DESK MESSAGES DURING STERILE COCKPIT. DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL WERE EXCELLENT AND VERY SUPPORTIVE IN GIVING ME THE INFO I WANTED TO DETERMINE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. MY FO'S AND CABIN CREW ALL DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB COMPLETING THEIR DUTIES AND PROVIDING INPUT TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION.

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