Fuel leak on light transport from plate under wing integral fuel tank.

Attributes
ACN	121143
Time
Date	198908
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : roa
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 25000 msl bound upper : 25000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zdc enroute airway : ztl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	121143
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	120983
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Passenger reported fluid dripping from left wing. First officer checked and thought to be fuel. I checked and observed stream of fuel from left inboard flap. Proceeded to destination, roa. Requested emergency equipment as a precaution and shut down #1 upon T/D. Evacuated passenger west/O incident. Found an 18' panel on bottom of tank/wing to be missing several screws and loose, leaking fuel. Defueled aircraft. Comment: poor preventive maintenance recurring. Our mechanics are shorthanded, pushed and have a parts problem. This is at least the fourth time for this fuel panel problem on different aircraft. It's next to engine exhaust and could be an explosive situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL LEAK ON LTT FROM PLATE UNDER WING INTEGRAL FUEL TANK.

Narrative: PAX RPTED FLUID DRIPPING FROM LEFT WING. F/O CHKED AND THOUGHT TO BE FUEL. I CHKED AND OBSERVED STREAM OF FUEL FROM LEFT INBOARD FLAP. PROCEEDED TO DEST, ROA. REQUESTED EMER EQUIP AS A PRECAUTION AND SHUT DOWN #1 UPON T/D. EVACUATED PAX W/O INCIDENT. FOUND AN 18' PANEL ON BOTTOM OF TANK/WING TO BE MISSING SEVERAL SCREWS AND LOOSE, LEAKING FUEL. DEFUELED ACFT. COMMENT: POOR PREVENTIVE MAINT RECURRING. OUR MECHS ARE SHORTHANDED, PUSHED AND HAVE A PARTS PROB. THIS IS AT LEAST THE FOURTH TIME FOR THIS FUEL PANEL PROB ON DIFFERENT ACFT. IT'S NEXT TO ENG EXHAUST AND COULD BE AN EXPLOSIVE SITUATION.

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.