Narrative:

Flight engineer advised me at about 28000 ft MSL in our climb to 31000 ft MSL that we showed a loss of fuel quantity from #2 fuel tank and a 'loss of fuel' checklist was accomplished, which included a check of the wings for any sign of fuel vapor. This check was negative and the loss of fuel seemed to stop after each engine was fed from its fuel tank. As a precaution, a diversion was made to ewr and engine #2 was shut down using the 'precautionary shutdown' checklist about 10 mins prior to landing due to fluctuating fuel flow. A normal 2 engine landing was accomplished uneventfully. #1 and #3 fuel tanks contained about 7000 pounds of fuel each, but since I was not sure where the leak was, I decided not to open the xfeed valves and feed #2 engine. After several checks by aircraft maintenance, no leak was found. After further investigation, it has been determined that the flight engineer probably left tanks #1 and #3 xfeeds open on takeoff, which caused all 3 engines to feed from #2 tank. Needless to say, I will certainly make a better scan of the flight engineer's panel prior to takeoff from now on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT MANDATED WHEN AN APPARENT FUEL LEAK CREATES FUEL IMBAL AND FUEL EXHAUSTION ON #2 ENG. INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN.

Narrative: FE ADVISED ME AT ABOUT 28000 FT MSL IN OUR CLB TO 31000 FT MSL THAT WE SHOWED A LOSS OF FUEL QUANTITY FROM #2 FUEL TANK AND A 'LOSS OF FUEL' CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED, WHICH INCLUDED A CHK OF THE WINGS FOR ANY SIGN OF FUEL VAPOR. THIS CHK WAS NEGATIVE AND THE LOSS OF FUEL SEEMED TO STOP AFTER EACH ENG WAS FED FROM ITS FUEL TANK. AS A PRECAUTION, A DIVERSION WAS MADE TO EWR AND ENG #2 WAS SHUT DOWN USING THE 'PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN' CHKLIST ABOUT 10 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG DUE TO FLUCTUATING FUEL FLOW. A NORMAL 2 ENG LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED UNEVENTFULLY. #1 AND #3 FUEL TANKS CONTAINED ABOUT 7000 LBS OF FUEL EACH, BUT SINCE I WAS NOT SURE WHERE THE LEAK WAS, I DECIDED NOT TO OPEN THE XFEED VALVES AND FEED #2 ENG. AFTER SEVERAL CHKS BY ACFT MAINT, NO LEAK WAS FOUND. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE FE PROBABLY LEFT TANKS #1 AND #3 XFEEDS OPEN ON TKOF, WHICH CAUSED ALL 3 ENGS TO FEED FROM #2 TANK. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WILL CERTAINLY MAKE A BETTER SCAN OF THE FE'S PANEL PRIOR TO TKOF FROM NOW ON.

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.