Fueling truck leaked fuel on ramp near air carrier light transport aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	216919
Time
Date	199207
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	216919
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

A fuel spill occurred while flight was being refueled. I immediately requested mem operations to bring out the spill cart and notify the airport fire department. This was because the spill had grown to over 6 ft in diameter, and the fuel truck kept leaking. When no fire department vehicles arrived, I asked operations if they had notified them. I was told that a ramp manager was on the scene and had given instructions to not call the fire department. I went over to the fuel truck, and showed him the procedures outlined for a fuel spill. In accordance with the air carrier (company) gom. As I showed him this, the truck continued to leak at an even higher rate. The supervisor walked away from me without a word. I went back to my aircraft, called operations again, requesting them to notify the fire department. The fuel truck, sitting over the spill, was started up and driven away. The airport police arrived. The fuel spill was covered with drying compound from the fuel spill cart before the fire department arrived to hose down the spill. The fire department arrived at approximately XA38 hours. The fuel spill was not hosed down. The lives of many people were jeopardized because proper procedures were not followed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUELING TRUCK LEAKED FUEL ON RAMP NEAR ACR LTT ACFT.

Narrative: A FUEL SPILL OCCURRED WHILE FLT WAS BEING REFUELED. I IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED MEM OPS TO BRING OUT THE SPILL CART AND NOTIFY THE ARPT FIRE DEPT. THIS WAS BECAUSE THE SPILL HAD GROWN TO OVER 6 FT IN DIAMETER, AND THE FUEL TRUCK KEPT LEAKING. WHEN NO FIRE DEPT VEHICLES ARRIVED, I ASKED OPS IF THEY HAD NOTIFIED THEM. I WAS TOLD THAT A RAMP MGR WAS ON THE SCENE AND HAD GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO NOT CALL THE FIRE DEPT. I WENT OVER TO THE FUEL TRUCK, AND SHOWED HIM THE PROCS OUTLINED FOR A FUEL SPILL. IAW THE ACR (COMPANY) GOM. AS I SHOWED HIM THIS, THE TRUCK CONTINUED TO LEAK AT AN EVEN HIGHER RATE. THE SUPVR WALKED AWAY FROM ME WITHOUT A WORD. I WENT BACK TO MY ACFT, CALLED OPS AGAIN, REQUESTING THEM TO NOTIFY THE FIRE DEPT. THE FUEL TRUCK, SITTING OVER THE SPILL, WAS STARTED UP AND DRIVEN AWAY. THE ARPT POLICE ARRIVED. THE FUEL SPILL WAS COVERED WITH DRYING COMPOUND FROM THE FUEL SPILL CART BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED TO HOSE DOWN THE SPILL. THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED AT APPROX XA38 HRS. THE FUEL SPILL WAS NOT HOSED DOWN. THE LIVES OF MANY PEOPLE WERE JEOPARDIZED BECAUSE PROPER PROCS WERE NOT FOLLOWED.

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.