Narrative:

Arrived on flight deck at xa PST for xb departure. Maintenance tech was in left seat preparing to run #2 engine to check for fuel leak because high pressure fuel line had been changed on #2. Tech started engine and was told to immediately shutdown because of large fuel leak. Was told to expect 3 hour delay, but 30 mins later was told problem was fixed and we departed approximately 1 hour past schedule. Climb and initial cruise were normal, and I was especially observant of fuel quantities to make sure we did not have a recurring fuel leak. We climbed on center fuel tank and it ran out approximately 1 hour, 15 mins into flight. At approximately 1 hour, 30 mins into flight a fuel confign warning light appeared on overhead panel, along with associated EICAS message on instrument panel. I checked fuel gauges and found #2 main tank approximately 2000# lower than right main. I immediately assumed we had redeveloped a leak in right engine. I told first officer to balance fuel and set a phone patch through atl radio to our dispatch office. Meanwhile I called first csr from cabin and told him to look behind right engine/wing for any evidence of fuel leakage/contrail etc. After that I called center and advised them that we might need to divert. First csr came back on flight deck and said he could see nothing from window, but I saw that fuel had decreased by another 300-400# in right tank. I decided we did probably have fuel leak and decided to secure right engine to decrease threat of fire. I requested and received clearance direct to wichita, ks, and began descent. At this time we completed the engine shutdown checklist. An uneventful single engine landing followed to runway 19R at wichita. Once on the ground no evidence of a fuel leak was found, and after I compared block in fuel with fuel burned, I concluded that we had just had a fuel asymmetry problem, and the end had been shutdown unnecessarily. As to what caused the asymmetry, I assume that the fuel xfeed had been missed on first officer's prestart flow and I had not caught it, or xfeed had been inadvertently selected in flight, or possibly a problem with fuel xfeed valve itself or in fuel quantity indication. Whatever the cause I believe my misdiagnosis of problem was certainly colored by the earlier fuel leak on ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS MAINTENANCE PROBLEM WITH LEAKING FUEL FLT CREW MISDIAGNOSED A FUEL IMBALANCE CONDITION AS A FUEL LEAK, SHUT DOWN THE SUSPECTED ENGINE AND DIVERTED TO A NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: ARRIVED ON FLT DECK AT XA PST FOR XB DEP. MAINT TECH WAS IN LEFT SEAT PREPARING TO RUN #2 ENG TO CHK FOR FUEL LEAK BECAUSE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL LINE HAD BEEN CHANGED ON #2. TECH STARTED ENG AND WAS TOLD TO IMMEDIATELY SHUTDOWN BECAUSE OF LARGE FUEL LEAK. WAS TOLD TO EXPECT 3 HR DELAY, BUT 30 MINS LATER WAS TOLD PROB WAS FIXED AND WE DEPARTED APPROX 1 HR PAST SCHEDULE. CLB AND INITIAL CRUISE WERE NORMAL, AND I WAS ESPECIALLY OBSERVANT OF FUEL QUANTITIES TO MAKE SURE WE DID NOT HAVE A RECURRING FUEL LEAK. WE CLBED ON CENTER FUEL TANK AND IT RAN OUT APPROX 1 HR, 15 MINS INTO FLT. AT APPROX 1 HR, 30 MINS INTO FLT A FUEL CONFIGN WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON OVERHEAD PANEL, ALONG WITH ASSOCIATED EICAS MESSAGE ON INSTRUMENT PANEL. I CHKED FUEL GAUGES AND FOUND #2 MAIN TANK APPROX 2000# LOWER THAN RIGHT MAIN. I IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED WE HAD REDEVELOPED A LEAK IN RIGHT ENG. I TOLD F/O TO BALANCE FUEL AND SET A PHONE PATCH THROUGH ATL RADIO TO OUR DISPATCH OFFICE. MEANWHILE I CALLED FIRST CSR FROM CABIN AND TOLD HIM TO LOOK BEHIND RIGHT ENG/WING FOR ANY EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE/CONTRAIL ETC. AFTER THAT I CALLED CENTER AND ADVISED THEM THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO DIVERT. FIRST CSR CAME BACK ON FLT DECK AND SAID HE COULD SEE NOTHING FROM WINDOW, BUT I SAW THAT FUEL HAD DECREASED BY ANOTHER 300-400# IN RIGHT TANK. I DECIDED WE DID PROBABLY HAVE FUEL LEAK AND DECIDED TO SECURE RIGHT ENG TO DECREASE THREAT OF FIRE. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC DIRECT TO WICHITA, KS, AND BEGAN DSCNT. AT THIS TIME WE COMPLETED THE ENG SHUTDOWN CHKLIST. AN UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENG LNDG FOLLOWED TO RWY 19R AT WICHITA. ONCE ON THE GND NO EVIDENCE OF A FUEL LEAK WAS FOUND, AND AFTER I COMPARED BLOCK IN FUEL WITH FUEL BURNED, I CONCLUDED THAT WE HAD JUST HAD A FUEL ASYMMETRY PROB, AND THE END HAD BEEN SHUTDOWN UNNECESSARILY. AS TO WHAT CAUSED THE ASYMMETRY, I ASSUME THAT THE FUEL XFEED HAD BEEN MISSED ON F/O'S PRESTART FLOW AND I HAD NOT CAUGHT IT, OR XFEED HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY SELECTED IN FLT, OR POSSIBLY A PROB WITH FUEL XFEED VALVE ITSELF OR IN FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION. WHATEVER THE CAUSE I BELIEVE MY MISDIAGNOSIS OF PROB WAS CERTAINLY COLORED BY THE EARLIER FUEL LEAK ON GND.

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.