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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Flight crew were unable to crossfeed fuel from the #3 tank in an large transport. Maintenance had wired the valve 'open' per minimum equipment list requirement. Post flight inspection revealed valve wired closed.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 109370 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198904 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : orf airport : ewr |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff climbout : intermediate altitude ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 3750 |
| ASRS Report | 109370 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Flight ewr to pop after engine start the second officer noticed that he could not open the #3 fuel xfeed valve. We pulled back into the gate where maintenance put a placard on the #3 xfeed and wired the #3 valve open. During climb out from ewr the second officer expressed doubt about whether the #3 xfeed was wired full open because he couldn't xfeed to or from #3. (When maintenance wired the valve open they disconnected the cannon plug so we had no way to visually confirm the position of the valve.) fuel balance between #1 tank and #3 tank was maintained by xfeeding between #1 and #2, and by varying fuel flow. After reaching cruise altitude and verifying that we could do nothing as a crew to correct the situation we contacted the company. After lengthy discussion with the company it was decided that we should return to ewr. We landed at ewr 2 hours after takeoff and returned to the gate. Maintenance checked the xfeed and found it wired in the closed position.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW WERE UNABLE TO CROSSFEED FUEL FROM THE #3 TANK IN AN LGT. MAINTENANCE HAD WIRED THE VALVE 'OPEN' PER MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST REQUIREMENT. POST FLT INSPECTION REVEALED VALVE WIRED CLOSED.
Narrative: FLT EWR TO POP AFTER ENG START THE S/O NOTICED THAT HE COULD NOT OPEN THE #3 FUEL XFEED VALVE. WE PULLED BACK INTO THE GATE WHERE MAINT PUT A PLACARD ON THE #3 XFEED AND WIRED THE #3 VALVE OPEN. DURING CLBOUT FROM EWR THE S/O EXPRESSED DOUBT ABOUT WHETHER THE #3 XFEED WAS WIRED FULL OPEN BECAUSE HE COULDN'T XFEED TO OR FROM #3. (WHEN MAINT WIRED THE VALVE OPEN THEY DISCONNECTED THE CANNON PLUG SO WE HAD NO WAY TO VISUALLY CONFIRM THE POS OF THE VALVE.) FUEL BAL BTWN #1 TANK AND #3 TANK WAS MAINTAINED BY XFEEDING BTWN #1 AND #2, AND BY VARYING FUEL FLOW. AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT AND VERIFYING THAT WE COULD DO NOTHING AS A CREW TO CORRECT THE SITUATION WE CONTACTED THE COMPANY. AFTER LENGTHY DISCUSSION WITH THE COMPANY IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD RETURN TO EWR. WE LANDED AT EWR 2 HRS AFTER TKOF AND RETURNED TO THE GATE. MAINT CHKED THE XFEED AND FOUND IT WIRED IN THE CLOSED POS.
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.