Narrative:

Event took place after takeoff from springfield on flight to denver. The gross weight was light but fuel tanks 1 and 3 were full. Departure runway was on runway 19 with a turn to 250 degree heading for the airway. The first officer took off and rotated to 22-23 degree to maintain the takeoff profile speeds followed shortly by a bank of 25 degree to pick up the intercept heading. These maneuvers were done smoothly but smartly. On rollout, at about 3000', tower informed us that another aircraft had observed a fuel stream coming from our left wing. The aircraft preflight had been normal. We had departed with balanced fuel, and the fuel remained balanced on rollout. My evaluation was that our takeoff and departure maneuver with full tanks had caused fuel surging and some fuel had discharged through the vent system. I chose to continue en route knowing that abnormal fuel depletion from tank #1 would very quickly become evident and appropriate action could be taken. I monitored the fuel flows and the fuel quantities, which remained normal, and continued the flight to denver. In retrospect, there are several things I should have done but failed to do. I should have leveled off and arranged to overfly the tower for a visual check and either I or the first officer should have made a visual check before proceeding on course for denver. My evaluation could have been wrong. If we had had a problem, time and fuel would not have been wasted waiting for a discrepancy on the fuel gauges.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MLG IS MADE AWARE OF POTENTIAL FUEL LEAK ON TKOF FROM SGF. HE DECIDES TO CONTINUE TO DESTINATION AND MONITOR FUEL GAUGES INSTEAD OF MAKING A VISUAL CHECK BY DOING A LOW PASS OVER THE TWR.

Narrative: EVENT TOOK PLACE AFTER TKOF FROM SPRINGFIELD ON FLT TO DENVER. THE GROSS WEIGHT WAS LIGHT BUT FUEL TANKS 1 AND 3 WERE FULL. DEP RWY WAS ON RWY 19 WITH A TURN TO 250 DEG HDG FOR THE AIRWAY. THE F/O TOOK OFF AND ROTATED TO 22-23 DEG TO MAINTAIN THE TKOF PROFILE SPEEDS FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY A BANK OF 25 DEG TO PICK UP THE INTERCEPT HDG. THESE MANEUVERS WERE DONE SMOOTHLY BUT SMARTLY. ON ROLLOUT, AT ABOUT 3000', TWR INFORMED US THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD OBSERVED A FUEL STREAM COMING FROM OUR LEFT WING. THE ACFT PREFLT HAD BEEN NORMAL. WE HAD DEPARTED WITH BALANCED FUEL, AND THE FUEL REMAINED BALANCED ON ROLLOUT. MY EVALUATION WAS THAT OUR TKOF AND DEP MANEUVER WITH FULL TANKS HAD CAUSED FUEL SURGING AND SOME FUEL HAD DISCHARGED THROUGH THE VENT SYSTEM. I CHOSE TO CONTINUE ENRTE KNOWING THAT ABNORMAL FUEL DEPLETION FROM TANK #1 WOULD VERY QUICKLY BECOME EVIDENT AND APPROPRIATE ACTION COULD BE TAKEN. I MONITORED THE FUEL FLOWS AND THE FUEL QUANTITIES, WHICH REMAINED NORMAL, AND CONTINUED THE FLT TO DENVER. IN RETROSPECT, THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS I SHOULD HAVE DONE BUT FAILED TO DO. I SHOULD HAVE LEVELED OFF AND ARRANGED TO OVERFLY THE TWR FOR A VISUAL CHECK AND EITHER I OR THE F/O SHOULD HAVE MADE A VISUAL CHECK BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE FOR DENVER. MY EVALUATION COULD HAVE BEEN WRONG. IF WE HAD HAD A PROBLEM, TIME AND FUEL WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WASTED WAITING FOR A DISCREPANCY ON THE FUEL GAUGES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.