Flight crew of an large transport declared an emergency and diverted to land due to fuel leak.

Attributes
ACN	279639
Time
Date	199408
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : abq
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	279639
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The center tank boost pumps were on as there was fuel in the tank. Shortly into the flight, the #1 center tank boost pump faulted so the fuel xfeed was opened to assure equal fuel distribution. After the center tank was empty, the xfeed was closed and the pumps were turned off. As time passed, the crew noticed that the fuel load was out of balance. Thinking that it had to do with the previous xfeed, the crew re- balanced the load. At this point the crew began to watch the fuel burn and fuel quantity on each engine. The fuel used in each engine was equal. The fuel burn was also equal, but the fuel balance was not equal and the rate at which the fuel was out of balance was increasing. It became apparent that the aircraft was losing fuel off the left side. There was a jump seat observer on board and he verified by observation from the cabin that fuel was leaking from the left side. At this time, the captain called center and declared an in-flight emergency and the aircraft diverted to abq. The aircraft landed in abq without further incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO LAND DUE TO FUEL LEAK.

Narrative: THE CTR TANK BOOST PUMPS WERE ON AS THERE WAS FUEL IN THE TANK. SHORTLY INTO THE FLT, THE #1 CTR TANK BOOST PUMP FAULTED SO THE FUEL XFEED WAS OPENED TO ASSURE EQUAL FUEL DISTRIBUTION. AFTER THE CTR TANK WAS EMPTY, THE XFEED WAS CLOSED AND THE PUMPS WERE TURNED OFF. AS TIME PASSED, THE CREW NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LOAD WAS OUT OF BAL. THINKING THAT IT HAD TO DO WITH THE PREVIOUS XFEED, THE CREW RE- BALANCED THE LOAD. AT THIS POINT THE CREW BEGAN TO WATCH THE FUEL BURN AND FUEL QUANTITY ON EACH ENG. THE FUEL USED IN EACH ENG WAS EQUAL. THE FUEL BURN WAS ALSO EQUAL, BUT THE FUEL BAL WAS NOT EQUAL AND THE RATE AT WHICH THE FUEL WAS OUT OF BAL WAS INCREASING. IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE ACFT WAS LOSING FUEL OFF THE L SIDE. THERE WAS A JUMP SEAT OBSERVER ON BOARD AND HE VERIFIED BY OBSERVATION FROM THE CABIN THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE L SIDE. AT THIS TIME, THE CAPT CALLED CTR AND DECLARED AN INFLT EMER AND THE ACFT DIVERTED TO ABQ. THE ACFT LANDED IN ABQ WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.