Flight crew of an large transport declared an emergency and diverted to land after smelling fuel odo...

Attributes
ACN	285278
Time
Date	199410
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mva
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
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 : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	285278
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight departed oak and climbed to FL330 en route to mem. At about the mina VOR, the so went to the back and returned reporting a strong odor of fuel in the cargo area. A rechk noted no evidence of fuel. The smoke/fumes checklist was completed, the company notified via agris, an emergency was declared, and the airplane diverted into las (distance approximately 130 NM). Fuel dumped (3 1/2 mins) and coordinated with nellis range control. A visual approach and landing was made on runway 19L. Crash fire rescue equipment was standing by at the runway. Upon landing, the emergency was terminated, and one crash fire rescue equipment truck accompanied the airplane to the ramp. Gocc and the duty officer were notified again upon landing. A cargo inspection revealed jet fuel leaking from a container in position #2. The container was removed from the airplane and emptied. A box shipped by maintenance to aircraft storage was found to be leaking a considerable amount of fuel. The box contained an engine fuel control unit not properly drained for the trip.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO LAND AFTER SMELLING FUEL ODOR IN THE CARGO AREA.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED OAK AND CLBED TO FL330 ENRTE TO MEM. AT ABOUT THE MINA VOR, THE SO WENT TO THE BACK AND RETURNED RPTING A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL IN THE CARGO AREA. A RECHK NOTED NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL. THE SMOKE/FUMES CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED, THE COMPANY NOTIFIED VIA AGRIS, AN EMER WAS DECLARED, AND THE AIRPLANE DIVERTED INTO LAS (DISTANCE APPROX 130 NM). FUEL DUMPED (3 1/2 MINS) AND COORDINATED WITH NELLIS RANGE CTL. A VISUAL APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE ON RWY 19L. CFR WAS STANDING BY AT THE RWY. UPON LNDG, THE EMER WAS TERMINATED, AND ONE CFR TRUCK ACCOMPANIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RAMP. GOCC AND THE DUTY OFFICER WERE NOTIFIED AGAIN UPON LNDG. A CARGO INSPECTION REVEALED JET FUEL LEAKING FROM A CONTAINER IN POS #2. THE CONTAINER WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRPLANE AND EMPTIED. A BOX SHIPPED BY MAINT TO ACFT STORAGE WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF FUEL. THE BOX CONTAINED AN ENG FUEL CTL UNIT NOT PROPERLY DRAINED FOR THE TRIP.

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.

Flight crew of an large transport declared an emergency and diverted to land after smelling fuel odor in the cargo area.