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An large transport supplemental air carrier crew found a fuel imbal while in flight. Investigation revealed faulty maintenance on a fuel filter retaining nut.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 211795 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199205 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : tul |
| State Reference | OK |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : tul |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other ground other : taxi |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute airway : zkc |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 211795 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 980 |
| ASRS Report | 211796 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Flight departed routinely from las. At an intermediate level off the flight engineer noticed the need to balance fuel due to lower level (about 800 pounds difference) in tank #3. Fuel was balance and approximately 20 min later this occurred again. The flight engineer went aft to inspect wing and found nothing out of the ordinary. Fuel rate loss and consumption provided adequate reserves to continue to destination (tul) with amarillo as a bingo alternate. A single engine aircraft reported what he considered unusual smoke trail during flight. Landing tul was uneventful. Tower reported fuel leak #3 engine and shutdown was accomplished immediately upon clearing runway. Fire equipment standing by reported no smoke or fire. There were no fumes or vapor. Normal deplaning by stairs -- no injuries. Inspection revealed lack of safety wire and cotter pin on fuel filter retaining nut.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN LGT SUPPLEMENTAL ACR CREW FOUND A FUEL IMBAL WHILE IN FLT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED FAULTY MAINT ON A FUEL FILTER RETAINING NUT.
Narrative: FLT DEPARTED ROUTINELY FROM LAS. AT AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OFF THE FLT ENGINEER NOTICED THE NEED TO BAL FUEL DUE TO LOWER LEVEL (ABOUT 800 POUNDS DIFFERENCE) IN TANK #3. FUEL WAS BAL AND APPROX 20 MIN LATER THIS OCCURRED AGAIN. THE FLT ENGINEER WENT AFT TO INSPECT WING AND FOUND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. FUEL RATE LOSS AND CONSUMPTION PROVIDED ADEQUATE RESERVES TO CONTINUE TO DEST (TUL) WITH AMARILLO AS A BINGO ALTERNATE. A SINGLE ENG ACFT RPTED WHAT HE CONSIDERED UNUSUAL SMOKE TRAIL DURING FLT. LNDG TUL WAS UNEVENTFUL. TWR RPTED FUEL LEAK #3 ENG AND SHUTDOWN WAS ACCOMPLISHED IMMEDIATELY UPON CLRING RWY. FIRE EQUIP STANDING BY RPTED NO SMOKE OR FIRE. THERE WERE NO FUMES OR VAPOR. NORMAL DEPLANING BY STAIRS -- NO INJURIES. INSPECTION REVEALED LACK OF SAFETY WIRE AND COTTER PIN ON FUEL FILTER RETAINING NUT.
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.