Narrative:

Ramp check by FAA at memphis international. Aircraft was grounded due to a fuel leak. After a preflight fuel leak was discussed between captain and myself, captain said our maintenance department was aware and that he had been told that according to aircraft manual there was an acceptable and allowable amount of fuel to leak or seep out due to it being a wet wing aircraft. The captain explained this to the FAA personnel ramp checking the aircraft and was told, according to the captain, that if that were the case it should be in the MEL. After telephone calls and conversations between the FAA and company maintenance personnel and my captain, of which I was not included, the aircraft was grounded and the scheduled trip cancelled, and the captain and I ferried the aircraft to our company maintenance base in hot springs, ar.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX TRIP CANCELED AFTER FAA INSPECTED ACFT ON RAMP AND OBSERVED AN EXCESSIVE FUEL LEAK (ACR LTT ACFT).

Narrative: RAMP CHK BY FAA AT MEMPHIS INTL. ACFT WAS GNDED DUE TO A FUEL LEAK. AFTER A PREFLT FUEL LEAK WAS DISCUSSED BTWN CAPT AND MYSELF, CAPT SAID OUR MAINT DEPT WAS AWARE AND THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD THAT ACCORDING TO ACFT MANUAL THERE WAS AN ACCEPTABLE AND ALLOWABLE AMOUNT OF FUEL TO LEAK OR SEEP OUT DUE TO IT BEING A WET WING ACFT. THE CAPT EXPLAINED THIS TO THE FAA PERSONNEL RAMP CHKING THE ACFT AND WAS TOLD, ACCORDING TO THE CAPT, THAT IF THAT WERE THE CASE IT SHOULD BE IN THE MEL. AFTER TELEPHONE CALLS AND CONVERSATIONS BTWN THE FAA AND COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL AND MY CAPT, OF WHICH I WAS NOT INCLUDED, THE ACFT WAS GNDED AND THE SCHEDULED TRIP CANCELLED, AND THE CAPT AND I FERRIED THE ACFT TO OUR COMPANY MAINT BASE IN HOT SPRINGS, AR.

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.