Fuel imbal. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	289718
Time
Date	199411
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mhk
State Reference	KS
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 1657 flight time type : 922
ASRS Report	289718
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The company is accusing the captain and myself of flying the aircraft with 500 pounds of fuel in the auxiliary tank and none in the right tank. The aircraft was flown ict to mhk by a single pilot type rated check airman. The aircraft was running approximately 15 mins late. This forced the captain and myself to perform a rather quick preflight to keep the aircraft on schedule. It is my duty to initiate the checklist. I called for the fuel to be checked and the captain responded by saying it was checked. There is a valve that separates the auxiliary fuel tank and the main tank. A mechanic for the company said it was possible for fuel to go from the main tank to the auxiliary tank.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL IMBAL.

Narrative: THE COMPANY IS ACCUSING THE CAPT AND MYSELF OF FLYING THE ACFT WITH 500 LBS OF FUEL IN THE AUX TANK AND NONE IN THE R TANK. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN ICT TO MHK BY A SINGLE PLT TYPE RATED CHK AIRMAN. THE ACFT WAS RUNNING APPROX 15 MINS LATE. THIS FORCED THE CAPT AND MYSELF TO PERFORM A RATHER QUICK PREFLT TO KEEP THE ACFT ON SCHEDULE. IT IS MY DUTY TO INITIATE THE CHKLIST. I CALLED FOR THE FUEL TO BE CHKED AND THE CAPT RESPONDED BY SAYING IT WAS CHKED. THERE IS A VALVE THAT SEPARATES THE AUX FUEL TANK AND THE MAIN TANK. A MECH FOR THE COMPANY SAID IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR FUEL TO GO FROM THE MAIN TANK TO THE AUX TANK.

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.