Narrative:

Upon reaching cruise altitude, the fuel check was normal between fuel used and fuel remaining. At our check over mem, we had a discrepancy of 10000 pounds between fuel burn and tank fuel remaining (tanks showed 10000 pounds less than fuel burn). A check was made 5 mins later and we now showed a 14000 pound difference. At this time the crew and the company maintenance people on the radio determined that we had a probable fuel leak somewhere. We diverted to dfw (original flight was from atl to hnl). I requested to land straight in even though they were landing north. As I did not want to be making turns into fuel vapors escaping with the leak, at 10000 ft on descent we had lost 24000 pounds of fuel. I did not dump fuel because I had a fuel problem of an unknown nature and I did not want to compound the problem by dumping fuel. We were assigned runway 13R. I asked for fire trucks and emergency equipment to stand by on landing. We landed at 430000 pounds (368000 is normal maximum weight). We used min brakes and turned off the runway at the end. Ground control asked if we could taxi in and I told them we would stop and I asked for a visual inspection by the fire trucks to check for a leak. I waited and again asked ground control what they had found. The fire trucks told me then that fuel was pouring from the center section of the airplane. I immediately shutdown all engines and asked that the ramp under the airplane be foamed. This was done. Approximately 30 mins later we were evacuated from the airplane by ground personnel. I have only 2 things that bothered me in this scenario. Most important, I could not talk to the fire trucks directly nor could they hear my transmissions to the tower or ground control. It is my understanding that the fire chief, in a separate car, can talk to the aircraft on tower frequency but the trucks cannot. I think it is imperative that all trucks be equipped with radios and we should have all been on a common frequency not being used for something else. I.e., ground control, when the steps were brought to the airplane, the personnel were not familiar with operation of the doors in the manual mode.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE BECAUSE OF A FUEL LEAK. PIC COMPLAINS THAT AFTER LNDG HE HAD TROUBLE COMMUNICATING WITH THE FIRE TRUCKS.

Narrative: UPON REACHING CRUISE ALT, THE FUEL CHK WAS NORMAL BTWN FUEL USED AND FUEL REMAINING. AT OUR CHK OVER MEM, WE HAD A DISCREPANCY OF 10000 POUNDS BTWN FUEL BURN AND TANK FUEL REMAINING (TANKS SHOWED 10000 POUNDS LESS THAN FUEL BURN). A CHK WAS MADE 5 MINS LATER AND WE NOW SHOWED A 14000 POUND DIFFERENCE. AT THIS TIME THE CREW AND THE COMPANY MAINT PEOPLE ON THE RADIO DETERMINED THAT WE HAD A PROBABLE FUEL LEAK SOMEWHERE. WE DIVERTED TO DFW (ORIGINAL FLT WAS FROM ATL TO HNL). I REQUESTED TO LAND STRAIGHT IN EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE LNDG N. AS I DID NOT WANT TO BE MAKING TURNS INTO FUEL VAPORS ESCAPING WITH THE LEAK, AT 10000 FT ON DSCNT WE HAD LOST 24000 POUNDS OF FUEL. I DID NOT DUMP FUEL BECAUSE I HAD A FUEL PROBLEM OF AN UNKNOWN NATURE AND I DID NOT WANT TO COMPOUND THE PROBLEM BY DUMPING FUEL. WE WERE ASSIGNED RWY 13R. I ASKED FOR FIRE TRUCKS AND EMER EQUIP TO STAND BY ON LNDG. WE LANDED AT 430000 POUNDS (368000 IS NORMAL MAX WT). WE USED MIN BRAKES AND TURNED OFF THE RWY AT THE END. GND CTL ASKED IF WE COULD TAXI IN AND I TOLD THEM WE WOULD STOP AND I ASKED FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION BY THE FIRE TRUCKS TO CHK FOR A LEAK. I WAITED AND AGAIN ASKED GND CTL WHAT THEY HAD FOUND. THE FIRE TRUCKS TOLD ME THEN THAT FUEL WAS POURING FROM THE CENTER SECTION OF THE AIRPLANE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUTDOWN ALL ENGS AND ASKED THAT THE RAMP UNDER THE AIRPLANE BE FOAMED. THIS WAS DONE. APPROX 30 MINS LATER WE WERE EVACUATED FROM THE AIRPLANE BY GND PERSONNEL. I HAVE ONLY 2 THINGS THAT BOTHERED ME IN THIS SCENARIO. MOST IMPORTANT, I COULD NOT TALK TO THE FIRE TRUCKS DIRECTLY NOR COULD THEY HEAR MY TRANSMISSIONS TO THE TWR OR GND CTL. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FIRE CHIEF, IN A SEPARATE CAR, CAN TALK TO THE ACFT ON TWR FREQ BUT THE TRUCKS CANNOT. I THINK IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ALL TRUCKS BE EQUIPPED WITH RADIOS AND WE SHOULD HAVE ALL BEEN ON A COMMON FREQ NOT BEING USED FOR SOMETHING ELSE. I.E., GND CTL, WHEN THE STEPS WERE BROUGHT TO THE AIRPLANE, THE PERSONNEL WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH OP OF THE DOORS IN THE MANUAL MODE.

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.