MD88 has low fuel warning during climb, also excessive rudder and aileron trim required.

Attributes
ACN	317559
Time
Date	199509
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl tracon : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 5
ASRS Report	317559
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A fuel low level message/warning with aircraft requiring an inordinate amount of right rudder and right aileron trim. All appropriate procedures were conducted with the assumption of emergency fuel remaining. Declared an emergency with 7700 and radio call. Returned to atlanta with an uneventful conclusion. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he doesn't know what caused the low fuel warning. He feels the trim problem may have caused the low fuel warning with the extreme amount of rudder and aileron trim needed. On the other hand he questions if the use of so much correction was due to the fuel imbalance or low fuel condition. The chicken or the egg question, which came first?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 HAS LOW FUEL WARNING DURING CLB, ALSO EXCESSIVE RUDDER AND AILERON TRIM REQUIRED.

Narrative: A FUEL LOW LEVEL MESSAGE/WARNING WITH ACFT REQUIRING AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF R RUDDER AND R AILERON TRIM. ALL APPROPRIATE PROCS WERE CONDUCTED WITH THE ASSUMPTION OF EMER FUEL REMAINING. DECLARED AN EMER WITH 7700 AND RADIO CALL. RETURNED TO ATLANTA WITH AN UNEVENTFUL CONCLUSION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE LOW FUEL WARNING. HE FEELS THE TRIM PROB MAY HAVE CAUSED THE LOW FUEL WARNING WITH THE EXTREME AMOUNT OF RUDDER AND AILERON TRIM NEEDED. ON THE OTHER HAND HE QUESTIONS IF THE USE OF SO MUCH CORRECTION WAS DUE TO THE FUEL IMBALANCE OR LOW FUEL CONDITION. THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG QUESTION, WHICH CAME FIRST?

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.