Fuel spill onto the ramp.

Attributes
ACN	301805
Time
Date	199504
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : evv
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	301805
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 170
ASRS Report	301627
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was notified by evv ground that fuel was venting out of our left (upwind) wing. We had diverted from stl to evv due to WX and missed approach. I acknowledged the advisory and was unconcerned since it was common for md-80/DC9 aircraft to vent fuel on sloping ramps. After the call, I left the aircraft to pick up paper work and walked under the left wing to find fuel out at the wingtip and water dripping from under the wing from melting frost. Upon my return to the aircraft, I was stopped by the evv airport safety officer who expressed concern about 'all' the fuel. I told him that there was some fuel, but most of it was water and that any fumes from the fuel were moving in an upwind position, away from the aircraft. He felt that we should get the passenger off the aircraft and clean up the spill. I told him that it would be the captain's decision. I did tell the captain of his concerns and we both felt that it would be safe to move the aircraft. We moved the aircraft without any incident. Supplemental information from acn 301627: size of spill was estimated between 5-10 gallons. I felt it was not a fire hazard and that it was safer to start upwind (right) engine and taxi away from spill rather than wait until clean-up equipment arrived and cleaned fuel. There were no tugs available to move aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL SPILL ONTO THE RAMP.

Narrative: I WAS NOTIFIED BY EVV GND THAT FUEL WAS VENTING OUT OF OUR L (UPWIND) WING. WE HAD DIVERTED FROM STL TO EVV DUE TO WX AND MISSED APCH. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE ADVISORY AND WAS UNCONCERNED SINCE IT WAS COMMON FOR MD-80/DC9 ACFT TO VENT FUEL ON SLOPING RAMPS. AFTER THE CALL, I LEFT THE ACFT TO PICK UP PAPER WORK AND WALKED UNDER THE L WING TO FIND FUEL OUT AT THE WINGTIP AND WATER DRIPPING FROM UNDER THE WING FROM MELTING FROST. UPON MY RETURN TO THE ACFT, I WAS STOPPED BY THE EVV ARPT SAFETY OFFICER WHO EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT 'ALL' THE FUEL. I TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS SOME FUEL, BUT MOST OF IT WAS WATER AND THAT ANY FUMES FROM THE FUEL WERE MOVING IN AN UPWIND POS, AWAY FROM THE ACFT. HE FELT THAT WE SHOULD GET THE PAX OFF THE ACFT AND CLEAN UP THE SPILL. I TOLD HIM THAT IT WOULD BE THE CAPT'S DECISION. I DID TELL THE CAPT OF HIS CONCERNS AND WE BOTH FELT THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE TO MOVE THE ACFT. WE MOVED THE ACFT WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 301627: SIZE OF SPILL WAS ESTIMATED BTWN 5-10 GALLONS. I FELT IT WAS NOT A FIRE HAZARD AND THAT IT WAS SAFER TO START UPWIND (R) ENG AND TAXI AWAY FROM SPILL RATHER THAN WAIT UNTIL CLEAN-UP EQUIP ARRIVED AND CLEANED FUEL. THERE WERE NO TUGS AVAILABLE TO MOVE ACFT.

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.