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Flight crew of large transport at cruise FL310 were advised by company dispatch their fuel load was insufficient because of the minimum equipment list item #3 aft fuel boost inoperative. Flight did not have enough reserve fuel to be legal for the flight to rno. Flight returned to msp for fuel.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 167354 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199101 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : msp |
| State Reference | MN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zmp |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zmp |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 8000 |
| ASRS Report | 167354 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 167357 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Flight scheduled from msp-rno returned to msp after it was determined that a misinterp of a MEL restriction did not allow sufficient fuel reserve for arrival. Aircraft in fact did depart with sufficient fuel for normal operation, but MEL restriction required a portion of it to be treated as unusable for reserve. Aircraft returned to msp to have MEL item repaired (#3 fuel tank aft boost pump) then departed for rno. Human factors: the #3 aft fuel pump had failed the previous flight segment for this aircraft. Normal company procedure requires maintenance control to advise flight dispatch of this condition. Somehow the communication flow broke down. That, combined with the flight crew's incorrect determination of the MEL restriction, caused the unfortunate return to msp. The flight turned back after dispatch was made aware of the inoperative fuel pump and relayed that information, along with correct MEL interpretation to the crew. It's my intention to research the maintenance/dispatch communication lines to see where this failure occurred.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF LGT AT CRUISE FL310 WERE ADVISED BY COMPANY DISPATCH THEIR FUEL LOAD WAS INSUFFICIENT BECAUSE OF THE MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST ITEM #3 AFT FUEL BOOST INOPERATIVE. FLT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH RESERVE FUEL TO BE LEGAL FOR THE FLT TO RNO. FLT RETURNED TO MSP FOR FUEL.
Narrative: FLT SCHEDULED FROM MSP-RNO RETURNED TO MSP AFTER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A MISINTERP OF A MEL RESTRICTION DID NOT ALLOW SUFFICIENT FUEL RESERVE FOR ARR. ACFT IN FACT DID DEPART WITH SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR NORMAL OPERATION, BUT MEL RESTRICTION REQUIRED A PORTION OF IT TO BE TREATED AS UNUSABLE FOR RESERVE. ACFT RETURNED TO MSP TO HAVE MEL ITEM REPAIRED (#3 FUEL TANK AFT BOOST PUMP) THEN DEPARTED FOR RNO. HUMAN FACTORS: THE #3 AFT FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED THE PREVIOUS FLT SEGMENT FOR THIS ACFT. NORMAL COMPANY PROC REQUIRES MAINT CTL TO ADVISE FLT DISPATCH OF THIS CONDITION. SOMEHOW THE COM FLOW BROKE DOWN. THAT, COMBINED WITH THE FLT CREW'S INCORRECT DETERMINATION OF THE MEL RESTRICTION, CAUSED THE UNFORTUNATE RETURN TO MSP. THE FLT TURNED BACK AFTER DISPATCH WAS MADE AWARE OF THE INOP FUEL PUMP AND RELAYED THAT INFO, ALONG WITH CORRECT MEL INTERP TO THE CREW. IT'S MY INTENTION TO RESEARCH THE MAINT/DISPATCH COM LINES TO SEE WHERE THIS FAILURE OCCURRED.
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.