Narrative:

Prior to departure from minneapolis to miami all checklists were completed and fuel load was verified to be correct. The departure and climb out was normal. When we got to our cruise altitude of FL290 however, the so noted a fuel imbal. The #1 tank was about 8000 pounds and dropping. The #2 tank was about 15000 pounds and the #3 tank was about 10000 pounds. The so stated we must have a fuel leak in the #1 tank because it had dropped to 8000 pounds and we were short a total of 5000 pounds of fuel. The aircraft also took one and a half units of rudder trim to keep its wings level. I verified that the fuel boost pumps in tank #1 were off, with the manifold valves all open but it seemed that fuel was still coming out of tank #1. It also seemed we could not feed #1 engine from tank #2. I was reluctant to try shutting off multiple fuel boost pumps in tanks 1 and 2 to try to rapidly bring the aircraft to within balance because the so was not sure if the manifold valves were in correspondence with the switch indicators. With this situation I knew that we would not have enough fuel to get to miami, so I contacted dispatch and requested to talk with maintenance. There appeared to be some confusion with company radio. Direct communication with dispatch was difficult with many interruptions. With each min that passed it put us further from minneapolis. The #1 tank was still draining with the boost pumps off, though the rate had slowed. We elected to return to minneapolis and dispatch was notified. 7000 pounds of fuel were dumped to bring the aircraft within landing weight and to bring the fuel load to within balance for landing. All the engines were running, the aircraft was within balance, and we were down to our landing weight, so an emergency was not declared. We did feel it was important to have the emergency equipment check the aircraft upon landing to insure that no fuel was leaking. We returned to the gate and changed aircraft. Maintenance briefly checked the aircraft when we were there. They indicated that there have been similar incidences on other large transport aircraft. Further they indicated that if it was a suction feed valve that had stuck open, ground verification would be difficult. Note: the so commented later that on takeoff all the manifold valves had been open and all fuel boost pumps were on. He also stated that at 1000 ft AGL the boost pumps were shut off in tank #1 and tank #3 in an attempt to manage fuel normally. One additional report note: the first officer was a must hire due to a law suit. He had been with the company 6 months and is still employed. The so was hired 2 yrs ago but had received his furlough notice. Communication between these 2 crew members was poor. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The captain reporter states that the crew mix was bad and the so was not talking to the first officer due to seniority problems due to a law suit. The captain questioned the so on the fuel usage and was told that the so 'knew what he was doing.' the company operates more than one type of this large transport basic model with very different fuel usage techniques. The reporting captain suggests that all aircraft use tank to engine for takeoff and climb.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LGT AIR CREW MIS-MANAGED THEIR FUEL TO THE POINT THAT THEY HAD TO DUMP FUEL, AND RETURN TO THEIR DEP STATION.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP FROM MINNEAPOLIS TO MIAMI ALL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED AND FUEL LOAD WAS VERIFIED TO BE CORRECT. THE DEP AND CLB OUT WAS NORMAL. WHEN WE GOT TO OUR CRUISE ALT OF FL290 HOWEVER, THE SO NOTED A FUEL IMBAL. THE #1 TANK WAS ABOUT 8000 POUNDS AND DROPPING. THE #2 TANK WAS ABOUT 15000 POUNDS AND THE #3 TANK WAS ABOUT 10000 POUNDS. THE SO STATED WE MUST HAVE A FUEL LEAK IN THE #1 TANK BECAUSE IT HAD DROPPED TO 8000 POUNDS AND WE WERE SHORT A TOTAL OF 5000 POUNDS OF FUEL. THE ACFT ALSO TOOK ONE AND A HALF UNITS OF RUDDER TRIM TO KEEP ITS WINGS LEVEL. I VERIFIED THAT THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS IN TANK #1 WERE OFF, WITH THE MANIFOLD VALVES ALL OPEN BUT IT SEEMED THAT FUEL WAS STILL COMING OUT OF TANK #1. IT ALSO SEEMED WE COULD NOT FEED #1 ENG FROM TANK #2. I WAS RELUCTANT TO TRY SHUTTING OFF MULTIPLE FUEL BOOST PUMPS IN TANKS 1 AND 2 TO TRY TO RAPIDLY BRING THE ACFT TO WITHIN BAL BECAUSE THE SO WAS NOT SURE IF THE MANIFOLD VALVES WERE IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE SWITCH INDICATORS. WITH THIS SITUATION I KNEW THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GET TO MIAMI, SO I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND REQUESTED TO TALK WITH MAINT. THERE APPEARED TO BE SOME CONFUSION WITH COMPANY RADIO. DIRECT COM WITH DISPATCH WAS DIFFICULT WITH MANY INTERRUPTIONS. WITH EACH MIN THAT PASSED IT PUT US FURTHER FROM MINNEAPOLIS. THE #1 TANK WAS STILL DRAINING WITH THE BOOST PUMPS OFF, THOUGH THE RATE HAD SLOWED. WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO MINNEAPOLIS AND DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED. 7000 POUNDS OF FUEL WERE DUMPED TO BRING THE ACFT WITHIN LNDG WT AND TO BRING THE FUEL LOAD TO WITHIN BAL FOR LNDG. ALL THE ENGS WERE RUNNING, THE ACFT WAS WITHIN BAL, AND WE WERE DOWN TO OUR LNDG WT, SO AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED. WE DID FEEL IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE EMER EQUIP CHK THE ACFT UPON LNDG TO INSURE THAT NO FUEL WAS LEAKING. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND CHANGED ACFT. MAINT BRIEFLY CHKED THE ACFT WHEN WE WERE THERE. THEY INDICATED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SIMILAR INCIDENCES ON OTHER LGT ACFT. FURTHER THEY INDICATED THAT IF IT WAS A SUCTION FEED VALVE THAT HAD STUCK OPEN, GND VERIFICATION WOULD BE DIFFICULT. NOTE: THE SO COMMENTED LATER THAT ON TKOF ALL THE MANIFOLD VALVES HAD BEEN OPEN AND ALL FUEL BOOST PUMPS WERE ON. HE ALSO STATED THAT AT 1000 FT AGL THE BOOST PUMPS WERE SHUT OFF IN TANK #1 AND TANK #3 IN AN ATTEMPT TO MANAGE FUEL NORMALLY. ONE ADDITIONAL RPT NOTE: THE FO WAS A MUST HIRE DUE TO A LAW SUIT. HE HAD BEEN WITH THE COMPANY 6 MONTHS AND IS STILL EMPLOYED. THE SO WAS HIRED 2 YRS AGO BUT HAD RECEIVED HIS FURLOUGH NOTICE. COM BTWN THESE 2 CREW MEMBERS WAS POOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE CAPT RPTR STATES THAT THE CREW MIX WAS BAD AND THE SO WAS NOT TALKING TO THE FO DUE TO SENIORITY PROBLEMS DUE TO A LAW SUIT. THE CAPT QUESTIONED THE SO ON THE FUEL USAGE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE SO 'KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING.' THE COMPANY OPERATES MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF THIS LGT BASIC MODEL WITH VERY DIFFERENT FUEL USAGE TECHNIQUES. THE RPTING CAPT SUGGESTS THAT ALL ACFT USE TANK TO ENG FOR TKOF AND CLB.

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.