CREW ENTRY DOOR OPEN IN HVY RAIN ECC COMPARTMENT FLOODED.

Narrative

CREW SHOWED UP TO ACFT DURING HVY RAIN. IT HAD BEEN RAINING HEAVILY; UP TO 1 INCH PER HR ALL DAY. ACCORDING TO SEATTLE MAINT; THE ACFT DOORS HAD BEEN OPEN INTERMITTENTLY ALL DAY TO FACILITATE PORT OF SEATTLE FIRE DEPT ACFT FAMILIARIZATION PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR 1 WK. DESPITE REPEATED PLEADINGS FROM SEATTLE MAINT PERSONNEL TO CLOSE THE ENTRY DOOR; THE 30-SOME FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL AT THE SITE 'LAUGHED AT THE WARNINGS' TO KEEP THE DOORS CLOSED SO WATER WOULDN'T ENTER THE ACFT ELECTRIC COMPARTMENT. THIS ADDED COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF WATER TO THE ALREADY WET EEC COMPARTMENT. MAINT ASSURED CREW THAT ACFT WAS READY TO GO UPON PUSHBACK. HOWEVER; #1 (STANDBY) COMPASS SYS FAILED AND COULD NOT BE REINSTATED. CREW REBLOCKED FLT. ACFT WOULD NOT TAKE APU PWR; AND LITERALLY SHUDDERED INTO A 'BROWN OUT' WHEN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO SELECT IT OR EXTERNAL PWR. #2 ENG HAD TO REMAIN ON UNTIL ACFT WAS SECURE TO PROVIDE PWR. MAINT INFORMED US THAT IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST 4 HRS TO DRY OUT THE EEC COMPARTMENT. APPROX 1 1/2 HRS LATER; HOWEVER; MAINT ADVISED THE ACFT WAS NOW READY TO DEPART. AFTER GREAT AMOUNT OF SERIOUS DELIBERATION; THE CREW ELECTED THAT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY; IT WOULD NOT BE PRUDENT TO DEPART AN ACFT INTO POOR WX (400 FT CEILING AT SEA; POOR ENRTE WX; AND 500 FT CEILING AT OAK) GIVEN THE WET EEC CONDITION AND QUESTIONABLE ELECTRICAL SYS OF THE ACFT. IN OUR JUDGEMENT; THE ACFT WAS UNAIRWORTHY. THE FLT WAS CANCELLED. UPON OUR RETURN THE NEXT MORNING; THE DOWNED ACFT WAS STILL THERE; WITH A GND PNEUMATIC CART BEING USED TO TRY TO DRY THE EEC. THE SEATTLE MORNING MAINT CREW BRIEFED THE FLC THAT THE EEC WAS STILL FULL OF WATER AND THAT HAD WE TAKEN THE PLANE; SURELY UPON ROTATION (INTO THE 400 FT NIGHT CEILING) ALL OF THE REMAINING WATER WOULD HAVE FLOWED AFT INTO THE EEC AND FLOODED THE COMPARTMENT WITH GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT CATASTROPHIC ELECTRICAL PROBS; AND PERHAPS THE LOSS OF THE ACFT AND CREW ACCORDING TO MAINT. THE ONCE CONVEX OUTER SURFACES OF MOST OF THE 'BLACK-BOXES' HAVE BECOME CONCAVE AND AS A RESULT COLLECT UNDETECTABLE AND UNDRAINABLE WATER WHICH ALONE COULD CAUSE GREAT ELECTRICAL PROBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RAIN WAS ENTERING THROUGH THE CREW ENTRANCE DOOR. COMPANY CHIEF PLT WAS ADVISED OF THE SIT BUT RPTR DOES NOT FEEL ANY ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. FEELS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBS IS THE COVERS TO THESE ELECTRONIC UNITS HAVE BECOME CONCAVE AND INSURE WATER WILL COLLECT ON THE UNITS. MAINT IS CONVINCED THEY STOOD A GOOD CHANCE OF LOSING THE ACFT HAD A TKOF BEEN MADE IN THE WX CONDITIONS EXISTING. MAIN CONCERN OF THE COMPANY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS TO GET THE ACFT OUT OF TOWN. SUGGESTED A RPT BE MADE TO THE FAA HOTLINE.