Aircraft lands with fuel out of balance.

Attributes
ACN	278919
Time
Date	199408
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	278919
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I believed that the #1 fuel quantity was in error or that we had a fuel leak somewhere in the aircraft, we landed with a fuel imbal of approximately 15000 pounds. The maintenance personnel confirmed that the fuel gauges were correct, and the problem was a xfeed valve that was out of position. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: flight crew had fuel gauge indication of imbal, but could not figure what could have caused it. The fuel flow for each engine was the same during the flight. Flight crew flew aircraft with autoplt off to check tendency to roll, but roll tendency was very slight. After landing it was confirmed the fuel gauges were correct and the out of balance condition really existed. This was about 6000 pounds out of balance by limits of the aircraft. Apparently it caused no discernable in-flight characteristics.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT LANDS WITH FUEL OUT OF BAL.

Narrative: I BELIEVED THAT THE #1 FUEL QUANTITY WAS IN ERROR OR THAT WE HAD A FUEL LEAK SOMEWHERE IN THE ACFT, WE LANDED WITH A FUEL IMBAL OF APPROX 15000 LBS. THE MAINT PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES WERE CORRECT, AND THE PROB WAS A XFEED VALVE THAT WAS OUT OF POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FLC HAD FUEL GAUGE INDICATION OF IMBAL, BUT COULD NOT FIGURE WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED IT. THE FUEL FLOW FOR EACH ENG WAS THE SAME DURING THE FLT. FLC FLEW ACFT WITH AUTOPLT OFF TO CHK TENDENCY TO ROLL, BUT ROLL TENDENCY WAS VERY SLIGHT. AFTER LNDG IT WAS CONFIRMED THE FUEL GAUGES WERE CORRECT AND THE OUT OF BAL CONDITION REALLY EXISTED. THIS WAS ABOUT 6000 LBS OUT OF BAL BY LIMITS OF THE ACFT. APPARENTLY IT CAUSED NO DISCERNABLE INFLT CHARACTERISTICS.

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.