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B757 captain reported a fuel leak near the left wing was noted by a passenger resulting in a diversion to a suitable airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1590352 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201810 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.ARTCC |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Cruise |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Fuel Line Fittings & Connectors |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Captain Pilot Not Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine |
| Experience | Flight Crew Type 729 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue |
Narrative:
After takeoff; while at cruise altitude; a passenger noticed fuel flowing out of the left wing. The fuel leak was confirmed by additional crew members. Fuel did not appear to be coming out of the engine spar nor the left engine. Fuel leak QRH check was run and a conference call to dispatch; [maintenance control]; and [chief pilot] was initiated. It was determined that the most conservative course of action was to divert and have maintenance check the problem out. There was no evidence to suggest that an engine shut would help to stabilize the situation or increase the safety of the flight in any way. While reviewing diversion logistics we flew between two position report fixes 15 minutes apart; and noticed fuel indications were negative three hundred pounds. Flight attendants monitored the wing for any degradation every 10-15 minutes; and did report that as we descended to lower altitudes the fuel flow out of the gas cap decreased. We diverted to ZZZ where a normal landing occurred; albeit an overweight landing. [ATC gave us priority handling]. After landing crash fire rescue equipment inspected the left wing and saw no evidence that fuel was still leaking. Plane was taxied to gate without further incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B757 Captain reported a fuel leak near the left wing was noted by a passenger resulting in a diversion to a suitable airport.
Narrative: After takeoff; while at cruise altitude; a passenger noticed fuel flowing out of the left wing. The fuel leak was confirmed by additional crew members. Fuel did not appear to be coming out of the engine spar nor the left engine. Fuel leak QRH check was run and a conference call to Dispatch; [Maintenance Control]; and [Chief Pilot] was initiated. It was determined that the most conservative course of action was to divert and have Maintenance check the problem out. There was no evidence to suggest that an engine shut would help to stabilize the situation or increase the safety of the flight in any way. While reviewing diversion logistics we flew between two position report fixes 15 minutes apart; and noticed fuel indications were negative three hundred pounds. Flight attendants monitored the wing for any degradation every 10-15 minutes; and did report that as we descended to lower altitudes the fuel flow out of the gas cap decreased. We diverted to ZZZ where a normal landing occurred; albeit an overweight landing. [ATC gave us priority handling]. After landing CFR inspected the left wing and saw no evidence that fuel was still leaking. Plane was taxied to gate without further incident.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.