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Flight crew of air carrier medium large transport aircraft experienced a fuel imbal problem and declared an emergency.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 230646 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199301 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tlh |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zjx |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 230646 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 230725 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During climb out in medium large transport with nearly maximum fuel load, fuel tank switches were set to feed fuel from center tank only as per flight manual policy. About 15 mins into flight, crew noticed right main tank had lost 1500 pounds fuel. Calculations of fuel used with fuel remaining revealed no tank leak. Fuel was being sucked from right tank. Turned off remaining right boost pump. Fuel continued to feed from right tank at a much slower rate necessitating xfeeding to balance fuel 3 times. Continued to den with constant monitoring of each tank quantity. It appears a check valve was inoperative. Supplemental information from acn 230725: I was flying, very busy with WX, captain noticed very high rate of fuel burn out of right wing. Talked to dispatch, center, declared emergency and continued to den. Had to xfeed frequently to stay in limits.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT EXPERIENCED A FUEL IMBAL PROB AND DECLARED AN EMER.
Narrative: DURING CLBOUT IN MLG WITH NEARLY MAX FUEL LOAD, FUEL TANK SWITCHES WERE SET TO FEED FUEL FROM CTR TANK ONLY AS PER FLT MANUAL POLICY. ABOUT 15 MINS INTO FLT, CREW NOTICED R MAIN TANK HAD LOST 1500 LBS FUEL. CALCULATIONS OF FUEL USED WITH FUEL REMAINING REVEALED NO TANK LEAK. FUEL WAS BEING SUCKED FROM R TANK. TURNED OFF REMAINING R BOOST PUMP. FUEL CONTINUED TO FEED FROM R TANK AT A MUCH SLOWER RATE NECESSITATING XFEEDING TO BAL FUEL 3 TIMES. CONTINUED TO DEN WITH CONSTANT MONITORING OF EACH TANK QUANTITY. IT APPEARS A CHK VALVE WAS INOP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 230725: I WAS FLYING, VERY BUSY WITH WX, CAPT NOTICED VERY HIGH RATE OF FUEL BURN OUT OF R WING. TALKED TO DISPATCH, CTR, DECLARED EMER AND CONTINUED TO DEN. HAD TO XFEED FREQUENTLY TO STAY IN LIMITS.
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.