Narrative:

En route ord from ont over central/eastern ks, noted center tank fuel was not diminishing and that we were burning out of main (wing) tanks. Center tank pumps were checked on and heading been on since engine start. Then noted center tank aft and forward pump circuit breaker's had popped. Reset circuit breaker's and center tank's fuel again was being used. With the possibility of the circuit breaker's again popping, we decided to proceed to mci (divert) instead of continuing to ord. West/O center fuel remaining usable, we would not make ord. The aft center pump circuit breaker's did pop again. Both center tank pumps (fore and aft) are necessary to use fuel from center tanks overcoming main tank fuel pressure under normal operations. The problem on this aircraft is that there are no warning (caution) lights or low pressure lights to indicate failure of or power interruption to any of the fuel pumps. Conceivably all fuel could be used out of the wing tanks with center fuel available--unless the crew catches the problem via fuel tank gauges--the engines would flame out. Then even with center tank fuel pumps operable it would be extremely difficult to restart due AC elect not available. The point I would like to make is this is so critical that surely the addition of caution lights indicating center pump low pressure/failure would/should be a mandatory addition to the numerous warning lights already in operation on the medium large transport. We landed at mci and the circuit breaker's were rest and the mechanics ground checked the center tank pumps and the aft center pump circuit breaker's did pop again. With concurrence of maintenance and dispatch, the center tank pumps were placarded inoperative and we refueled main (wing) tank fuel to the amount necessary to proceed to ord carrying the center tank fuel as unusable ballast with respect to our weight and balance of load paperwork.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG HAD TO DIVERT TO AN ALTERNATE BECAUSE THE CENTER FUEL TANK BOOST PUMP WERE INOPERATIVE.

Narrative: ENRTE ORD FROM ONT OVER CENTRAL/EASTERN KS, NOTED CENTER TANK FUEL WAS NOT DIMINISHING AND THAT WE WERE BURNING OUT OF MAIN (WING) TANKS. CENTER TANK PUMPS WERE CHKED ON AND HDG BEEN ON SINCE ENG START. THEN NOTED CENTER TANK AFT AND FORWARD PUMP CB'S HAD POPPED. RESET CB'S AND CENTER TANK'S FUEL AGAIN WAS BEING USED. WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THE CB'S AGAIN POPPING, WE DECIDED TO PROCEED TO MCI (DIVERT) INSTEAD OF CONTINUING TO ORD. W/O CENTER FUEL REMAINING USABLE, WE WOULD NOT MAKE ORD. THE AFT CENTER PUMP CB'S DID POP AGAIN. BOTH CENTER TANK PUMPS (FORE AND AFT) ARE NECESSARY TO USE FUEL FROM CENTER TANKS OVERCOMING MAIN TANK FUEL PRESSURE UNDER NORMAL OPS. THE PROB ON THIS ACFT IS THAT THERE ARE NO WARNING (CAUTION) LIGHTS OR LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS TO INDICATE FAILURE OF OR PWR INTERRUPTION TO ANY OF THE FUEL PUMPS. CONCEIVABLY ALL FUEL COULD BE USED OUT OF THE WING TANKS WITH CENTER FUEL AVAILABLE--UNLESS THE CREW CATCHES THE PROB VIA FUEL TANK GAUGES--THE ENGS WOULD FLAME OUT. THEN EVEN WITH CENTER TANK FUEL PUMPS OPERABLE IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO RESTART DUE AC ELECT NOT AVAILABLE. THE POINT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS THIS IS SO CRITICAL THAT SURELY THE ADDITION OF CAUTION LIGHTS INDICATING CENTER PUMP LOW PRESSURE/FAILURE WOULD/SHOULD BE A MANDATORY ADDITION TO THE NUMEROUS WARNING LIGHTS ALREADY IN OPERATION ON THE MLG. WE LANDED AT MCI AND THE CB'S WERE REST AND THE MECHS GND CHKED THE CENTER TANK PUMPS AND THE AFT CENTER PUMP CB'S DID POP AGAIN. WITH CONCURRENCE OF MAINT AND DISPATCH, THE CENTER TANK PUMPS WERE PLACARDED INOP AND WE REFUELED MAIN (WING) TANK FUEL TO THE AMOUNT NECESSARY TO PROCEED TO ORD CARRYING THE CENTER TANK FUEL AS UNUSABLE BALLAST WITH RESPECT TO OUR WT AND BAL OF LOAD PAPERWORK.

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.