Narrative:

While climbing out of philadelphia, I happened to look over at the right wing and notice that the fuel cap was off and trailing by the safety chain. I immediately informed the captain and he requested to return to philadelphia with ATC priority handling. It did not appear as though we were loosing fuel. We were vectored for the approach and landed runway 9L without incident. When we arrived at the aircraft, it was late inbound. I conducted the preflight and did not note any problems. During my preflight the fueler was simultaneously fueling the aircraft with his truck parked off of the right wing. I specifically recall that he pulled the hose under the aircraft to fuel the left side and that his ladder was still at the right wing. Next I boarded the passenger, closed the door and checked the cabin as I moved forward to the cockpit. Then I began working on the weight and balance as the captain ran the before start checklist and started the right engine. After I completed the weight and balance, he started the left engine, we taxied and departed. Upon returning, someone approached the airplane wing at the ramp before any crew member or company employee had an opportunity to inspect the cap. Company dispatched a mechanic who inspected the wing, inspected and changed the cap, checked for water in the fuel and made the appropriate logbook entries. Supplemental information from acn 237708: the fuel cap is not included in any checklist and was not observed while responding to any items the checklist did include. The right fuel cap is not visible from the captain's seat and the fuel cap can be hidden from the first officer's sight by the propeller. I feel that a simple change to the before start checklist to include a visual check of the fuel caps could have avoided this mishap.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT FUEL EQUIP PROB MANDATES A RETURN AND LAND TO REPLACE THE FUEL CAP THAT WAS NOT SECURED.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING OUT OF PHILADELPHIA, I HAPPENED TO LOOK OVER AT THE R WING AND NOTICE THAT THE FUEL CAP WAS OFF AND TRAILING BY THE SAFETY CHAIN. I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THE CAPT AND HE REQUESTED TO RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA WITH ATC PRIORITY HANDLING. IT DID NOT APPEAR AS THOUGH WE WERE LOOSING FUEL. WE WERE VECTORED FOR THE APCH AND LANDED RWY 9L WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT, IT WAS LATE INBOUND. I CONDUCTED THE PREFLT AND DID NOT NOTE ANY PROBS. DURING MY PREFLT THE FUELER WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY FUELING THE ACFT WITH HIS TRUCK PARKED OFF OF THE R WING. I SPECIFICALLY RECALL THAT HE PULLED THE HOSE UNDER THE ACFT TO FUEL THE L SIDE AND THAT HIS LADDER WAS STILL AT THE R WING. NEXT I BOARDED THE PAX, CLOSED THE DOOR AND CHKED THE CABIN AS I MOVED FORWARD TO THE COCKPIT. THEN I BEGAN WORKING ON THE WT AND BAL AS THE CAPT RAN THE BEFORE START CHKLIST AND STARTED THE R ENG. AFTER I COMPLETED THE WT AND BAL, HE STARTED THE L ENG, WE TAXIED AND DEPARTED. UPON RETURNING, SOMEONE APCHED THE AIRPLANE WING AT THE RAMP BEFORE ANY CREW MEMBER OR COMPANY EMPLOYEE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO INSPECT THE CAP. COMPANY DISPATCHED A MECH WHO INSPECTED THE WING, INSPECTED AND CHANGED THE CAP, CHKED FOR WATER IN THE FUEL AND MADE THE APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK ENTRIES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 237708: THE FUEL CAP IS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY CHKLIST AND WAS NOT OBSERVED WHILE RESPONDING TO ANY ITEMS THE CHKLIST DID INCLUDE. THE R FUEL CAP IS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE CAPT'S SEAT AND THE FUEL CAP CAN BE HIDDEN FROM THE FO'S SIGHT BY THE PROP. I FEEL THAT A SIMPLE CHANGE TO THE BEFORE START CHKLIST TO INCLUDE A VISUAL CHK OF THE FUEL CAPS COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS MISHAP.

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.