Flight crew misunderstanding of fuel system and procedures for ferry fuel.

Attributes
ACN	317303
Time
Date	199510
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zab
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 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 : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	317303
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

En route to elp I determined that center tank fuel was not feeding the engines, as I had expected. Main fuel tank feed was normal and sufficient enough to complete our flight, with required fuel reserves. After consulting our aircraft manual and dispatch via commercial radio, we continued to elp and landed without incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: aircraft was fueled for a through flight and was ferrying extra fuel for that purpose. When reporter noticed the center tank fuel was not feeding the engines, he became concerned about the effect that would have on the center gravity for landing. By the time reporter captain discussed the situation with the first officer and contacted their company dispatch, they were close to their destination airport, had adequate fuel, so descended and landed uneventfully. A review with his chief pilot revealed that there was an abnormal procedure in their aircraft operations manual that specifically addressed their situation. Reporter says he was embarrassed, but learned a lot. Apparently the first officer was not any more aware of the proper procedure than the captain.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISUNDERSTANDING OF FUEL SYS AND PROCS FOR FERRY FUEL.

Narrative: ENRTE TO ELP I DETERMINED THAT CTR TANK FUEL WAS NOT FEEDING THE ENGS, AS I HAD EXPECTED. MAIN FUEL TANK FEED WAS NORMAL AND SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO COMPLETE OUR FLT, WITH REQUIRED FUEL RESERVES. AFTER CONSULTING OUR ACFT MANUAL AND DISPATCH VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO, WE CONTINUED TO ELP AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ACFT WAS FUELED FOR A THROUGH FLT AND WAS FERRYING EXTRA FUEL FOR THAT PURPOSE. WHEN RPTR NOTICED THE CTR TANK FUEL WAS NOT FEEDING THE ENGS, HE BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECT THAT WOULD HAVE ON THE CTR GRAVITY FOR LNDG. BY THE TIME RPTR CAPT DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH THE FO AND CONTACTED THEIR COMPANY DISPATCH, THEY WERE CLOSE TO THEIR DEST ARPT, HAD ADEQUATE FUEL, SO DSNDED AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. A REVIEW WITH HIS CHIEF PLT REVEALED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL PROC IN THEIR ACFT OPS MANUAL THAT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED THEIR SIT. RPTR SAYS HE WAS EMBARRASSED, BUT LEARNED A LOT. APPARENTLY THE FO WAS NOT ANY MORE AWARE OF THE PROPER PROC THAN THE CAPT.

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.