Medium large transport diverted to bna when fuel ceased feeding from the center fuel tank.

Attributes
ACN	237408
Time
Date	199303
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bna
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j6
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	237408
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After being dispatched on lga-dfw flight with 1 generator inoperative, experienced fuel tank feed abnormality. QRH checklist specified fuel pumps in main tanks be shut off. After approximately 30 mins of flight, APU flamed out. With only 1 generator now operative, we diverted into bna where WX was VFR. Possible remedies for the future, include MEL maintenance action: check fuel pumps/check valves when placarding an engine-driven generator. Add into to QRH procedure for fuel decreasing abnormal to include APU fuel feed requirements (this could have allowed for an earlier diversion decision). Add to QRH procedure for APU failure in-flight. (APU continued to windmill at 25 percent. Restarting the APU would have been especially desirable if there had been no VFR airport available. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that the main tanks were feeding the engines. The center tank should have been feeding until it ran dry and then the mains should have started to feed. There is a good chance that, when the mains ran dry, there would have been no way to suck the fuel from the center tank and the engines could starve for fuel even though more than 20000 pounds of fuel was in the center tank.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG DIVERTED TO BNA WHEN FUEL CEASED FEEDING FROM THE CTR FUEL TANK.

Narrative: AFTER BEING DISPATCHED ON LGA-DFW FLT WITH 1 GENERATOR INOP, EXPERIENCED FUEL TANK FEED ABNORMALITY. QRH CHKLIST SPECIFIED FUEL PUMPS IN MAIN TANKS BE SHUT OFF. AFTER APPROX 30 MINS OF FLT, APU FLAMED OUT. WITH ONLY 1 GENERATOR NOW OPERATIVE, WE DIVERTED INTO BNA WHERE WX WAS VFR. POSSIBLE REMEDIES FOR THE FUTURE, INCLUDE MEL MAINT ACTION: CHK FUEL PUMPS/CHK VALVES WHEN PLACARDING AN ENG-DRIVEN GENERATOR. ADD INTO TO QRH PROC FOR FUEL DECREASING ABNORMAL TO INCLUDE APU FUEL FEED REQUIREMENTS (THIS COULD HAVE ALLOWED FOR AN EARLIER DIVERSION DECISION). ADD TO QRH PROC FOR APU FAILURE INFLT. (APU CONTINUED TO WINDMILL AT 25 PERCENT. RESTARTING THE APU WOULD HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE IF THERE HAD BEEN NO VFR ARPT AVAILABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT THE MAIN TANKS WERE FEEDING THE ENGS. THE CTR TANK SHOULD HAVE BEEN FEEDING UNTIL IT RAN DRY AND THEN THE MAINS SHOULD HAVE STARTED TO FEED. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT, WHEN THE MAINS RAN DRY, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY TO SUCK THE FUEL FROM THE CTR TANK AND THE ENGS COULD STARVE FOR FUEL EVEN THOUGH MORE THAN 20000 LBS OF FUEL WAS IN THE CTR TANK.

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.