Narrative:

We had taken off from stewart/newburgh (swf), ny wbound and were level at 6000 ft on ny approach control when the flight attendant came forward to inform us of what appeared to be fuel leaking out of the left wing, inboard of the left engine. Our fuel flow and quantity gauges were normal with 150 pounds less in the left tank than the right. This was normal due to the flight in from iad to swf and no fuel added at swf. When the flight attendant walked back to check the leak again to verify its continuous flow, the captain and I could see the left fuel gauge moving. I, as a first officer, left my seat to confirm it was fuel, and its location. My visual inspection could see a continuous spray of fuel from the inboard tank. There appeared no danger of fuel fire as it was outside the engine nacelle and the speed of the aircraft. We then declared an emergency and flew the ILS to avp to our maintenance base 60 mi away. ATC was very helpful for priority to wilkes barre, PA, (avp). The problem arose when 7 screws fell out from the fuel access panel causing us to lose 1200 pounds of fuel from the left wing. The screws worked loose on climb and takeoff. We decided against shutting down the left engine as it appeared the fuel leak was external of the engine nacelle and that avp was IFR. The only factor affecting our performance was dealing with a situation that was not in any emergency checklist and completing all normal procedures and briefing an unplanned unfamiliar ILS to avp. Safe normal landing, met by emergency crews on ramp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT DEVELOPED A FUEL LEAK DURING CLB OUT FROM SWF. DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: WE HAD TAKEN OFF FROM STEWART/NEWBURGH (SWF), NY WBOUND AND WERE LEVEL AT 6000 FT ON NY APCH CTL WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT CAME FORWARD TO INFORM US OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE FUEL LEAKING OUT OF THE L WING, INBOARD OF THE L ENG. OUR FUEL FLOW AND QUANTITY GAUGES WERE NORMAL WITH 150 POUNDS LESS IN THE L TANK THAN THE R. THIS WAS NORMAL DUE TO THE FLT IN FROM IAD TO SWF AND NO FUEL ADDED AT SWF. WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT WALKED BACK TO CHK THE LEAK AGAIN TO VERIFY ITS CONTINUOUS FLOW, THE CAPT AND I COULD SEE THE L FUEL GAUGE MOVING. I, AS A FO, LEFT MY SEAT TO CONFIRM IT WAS FUEL, AND ITS LOCATION. MY VISUAL INSPECTION COULD SEE A CONTINUOUS SPRAY OF FUEL FROM THE INBOARD TANK. THERE APPEARED NO DANGER OF FUEL FIRE AS IT WAS OUTSIDE THE ENG NACELLE AND THE SPD OF THE ACFT. WE THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND FLEW THE ILS TO AVP TO OUR MAINT BASE 60 MI AWAY. ATC WAS VERY HELPFUL FOR PRIORITY TO WILKES BARRE, PA, (AVP). THE PROBLEM AROSE WHEN 7 SCREWS FELL OUT FROM THE FUEL ACCESS PANEL CAUSING US TO LOSE 1200 POUNDS OF FUEL FROM THE L WING. THE SCREWS WORKED LOOSE ON CLB AND TKOF. WE DECIDED AGAINST SHUTTING DOWN THE L ENG AS IT APPEARED THE FUEL LEAK WAS EXTERNAL OF THE ENG NACELLE AND THAT AVP WAS IFR. THE ONLY FACTOR AFFECTING OUR PERFORMANCE WAS DEALING WITH A SITUATION THAT WAS NOT IN ANY EMER CHKLIST AND COMPLETING ALL NORMAL PROCS AND BRIEFING AN UNPLANNED UNFAMILIAR ILS TO AVP. SAFE NORMAL LNDG, MET BY EMER CREWS ON RAMP.

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.