Casualties unknown

Ice Accumulation from Potable Water Leak Prevents Aileron and Flap Control on Airliner (I-DUPA)

Jamaica, NY, US

On January 14, 2003, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11-C (registration I-DUPA) was involved in an aviation accident near Jamaica, NY. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A leak of potable water onto the lateral (aileron) flight control cables, and flap extension cables, which subsequently froze them in place. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A flight at cruise altitude experienced a jammed aileron control wheel and inability to extend trailing edge flaps. Post-flight examination revealed ice accumulation in wheel wells from a potable water leak, which also affected flap cables.

Incident Details

During cruise, the flight crew discovered they could not move the control wheel for lateral (aileron) control. The rudder and elevator flight controls remained free. As the flight neared its destination, the crew attempted to extend the wing flaps. The leading edge slats extended, but the trailing edge flaps could not be extended. The flight landed in that condition.

Post-Flight Examination

Post-flight examination of the airplane revealed ice accumulations in all three wheel wells. The ice had accumulated on the aileron control cables and flap extension cables, preventing cable movement.

Water Leak Origin

The ice was traced to a water leak in the potable water system. A rubber hose attached to a water line fitting under the floorboard near the 3R door was leaking. When the floorboard in the area was lifted, upward movement was restricted by the rubber hose water line attached to the underside of the floorboard. Water was observed misting from the line where it attached to the fitting. When the floorboard was lifted further, the water line pulled loose from the fitting, and water flowed out. Examination of the rubber water hose revealed its failure was due to excessive load applied to the crimped joint between the flexible hose and its end fitting.

Maintenance Issues

The airplane manufacturer had attached water lines to the underside of floorboards. The airplane maintenance manuals did not contain any information about how to know if a water line was connected to the underside of a floorboard, or for disconnecting water lines attached to the underside of floorboards prior to lifting them. There was no jammed flight control checklist in effect at the time of the incident. QAR data revealed the pilots had limited movement of the ailerons with the autopilot engaged or disengaged through roll control wheel steering (RCWS), a customer selected option for the airplane.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20030207X00179. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.