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Flight crew of a widebody transport experienced a fuel leak just prior to descent resulting in declaring an emergency in order to land as soon as possible.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 279643 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199408 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : egkk |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 202 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : egtt |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4460 flight time type : 1606 |
| ASRS Report | 279643 |
| 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 other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Just prior to descent, so discovered #1 fuel tank gauge decreasing. The fuel leak/loss checklist was referenced and so closely monitored gauge. When the gauge reached zero, fuel boost pump low lights flickered and so latched xfeed valves to prevent fuel starvation. An emergency was declared and the descent continued for a straight-in landing on runway 8R at gatwick. The captain flew while the first officer communicated with center and approach and followed the checklist procedures with the so. The so advised the captain that the checklist called for an engine shutdown and the captain elected not to secure the engine. First officer advised so to pull out and review engine fire/shutdown and loss of single engine follow-up checklists. Remainder of descent, landing and rollout were normal with the exception of the higher than normal fuel quantity degradation. #1 engine was secured when clear of the runway. A high pressure fuel line on the port engine was ruptured. Visual inspection after landing revealed a dent in the line which probably caused the failure.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A WDB EXPERIENCED A FUEL LEAK JUST PRIOR TO DSCNT RESULTING IN DECLARING AN EMER IN ORDER TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO DSCNT, SO DISCOVERED #1 FUEL TANK GAUGE DECREASING. THE FUEL LEAK/LOSS CHKLIST WAS REFED AND SO CLOSELY MONITORED GAUGE. WHEN THE GAUGE REACHED ZERO, FUEL BOOST PUMP LOW LIGHTS FLICKERED AND SO LATCHED XFEED VALVES TO PREVENT FUEL STARVATION. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE DSCNT CONTINUED FOR A STRAIGHT-IN LNDG ON RWY 8R AT GATWICK. THE CAPT FLEW WHILE THE FO COMMUNICATED WITH CTR AND APCH AND FOLLOWED THE CHKLIST PROCS WITH THE SO. THE SO ADVISED THE CAPT THAT THE CHKLIST CALLED FOR AN ENG SHUTDOWN AND THE CAPT ELECTED NOT TO SECURE THE ENG. FO ADVISED SO TO PULL OUT AND REVIEW ENG FIRE/SHUTDOWN AND LOSS OF SINGLE ENG FOLLOW-UP CHKLISTS. REMAINDER OF DSCNT, LNDG AND ROLLOUT WERE NORMAL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HIGHER THAN NORMAL FUEL QUANTITY DEGRADATION. #1 ENG WAS SECURED WHEN CLR OF THE RWY. A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL LINE ON THE PORT ENG WAS RUPTURED. VISUAL INSPECTION AFTER LNDG REVEALED A DENT IN THE LINE WHICH PROBABLY CAUSED THE FAILURE.
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.