An air carrier flight crew finds that their aircraft had fuel in the center tank even though it was ...

Attributes
ACN	332893
Time
Date	199604
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa
State Reference	FL
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	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 3700
ASRS Report	332893
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On entering jetway noticed strong petro/chemical odor down jetway and throughout aircraft cabin. There was no evidence of fuel spill outside and maintenance explanation ranged from conditioned air from the terminal, to bug spray. Since I couldn't get substantiation for the bug spray theory I elected to not accept the aircraft. We had an MEL on an auxiliary fuel tank that on investigation by maintenance had an internal fuel leak. Apparently the fueler pumped fuel by mistake into the tank without telling anyone. The strongly voiced concern from the cabin crew significantly contributed to a safe conclusion. CRM strikes again. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a B737-400 at the time of the incident. This aircraft had an MEL restr that prevented use of the center fuel tank, but did not explain the reason why. The reporter said that he had just finished a walkaround inspection and during this he had noted fuel dripping from a fuselage drain. He then entered the aircraft and noted fuel odors in the jetway and the flight station. The flight attendants complained of the fuel smell in the cabin while he was reviewing the maintenance log. He then called for maintenance assistance on the radio. The maintenance technicians came up with a number of reasons for the smell that were unsatisfactory to the flight crew and the flight attendants so the captain called a maintenance supervisor. The supervisor discovered that the center tank had an in-the-aircraft leak and was not supposed to be fueled. However, a fueler had apparently put some fuel in the tank in the recent past. The aircraft was taken OTS. The reporter said that he wanted to emphasize the flight attendants' role as advocates during this event. He said that their strong stand pushed him to contact the supervisor for more information and the supervisor found out about the misfueling.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FINDS THAT THEIR ACFT HAD FUEL IN THE CTR TANK EVEN THOUGH IT WAS MEL'D AS UNUSABLE BECAUSE OF AN INTERNAL FUEL LEAK.

Narrative: ON ENTERING JETWAY NOTICED STRONG PETRO/CHEMICAL ODOR DOWN JETWAY AND THROUGHOUT ACFT CABIN. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILL OUTSIDE AND MAINT EXPLANATION RANGED FROM CONDITIONED AIR FROM THE TERMINAL, TO BUG SPRAY. SINCE I COULDN'T GET SUBSTANTIATION FOR THE BUG SPRAY THEORY I ELECTED TO NOT ACCEPT THE ACFT. WE HAD AN MEL ON AN AUX FUEL TANK THAT ON INVESTIGATION BY MAINT HAD AN INTERNAL FUEL LEAK. APPARENTLY THE FUELER PUMPED FUEL BY MISTAKE INTO THE TANK WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE. THE STRONGLY VOICED CONCERN FROM THE CABIN CREW SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTED TO A SAFE CONCLUSION. CRM STRIKES AGAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A B737-400 AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THIS ACFT HAD AN MEL RESTR THAT PREVENTED USE OF THE CTR FUEL TANK, BUT DID NOT EXPLAIN THE REASON WHY. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE HAD JUST FINISHED A WALKAROUND INSPECTION AND DURING THIS HE HAD NOTED FUEL DRIPPING FROM A FUSELAGE DRAIN. HE THEN ENTERED THE ACFT AND NOTED FUEL ODORS IN THE JETWAY AND THE FLT STATION. THE FLT ATTENDANTS COMPLAINED OF THE FUEL SMELL IN THE CABIN WHILE HE WAS REVIEWING THE MAINT LOG. HE THEN CALLED FOR MAINT ASSISTANCE ON THE RADIO. THE MAINT TECHNICIANS CAME UP WITH A NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THE SMELL THAT WERE UNSATISFACTORY TO THE FLC AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS SO THE CAPT CALLED A MAINT SUPVR. THE SUPVR DISCOVERED THAT THE CTR TANK HAD AN IN-THE-ACFT LEAK AND WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FUELED. HOWEVER, A FUELER HAD APPARENTLY PUT SOME FUEL IN THE TANK IN THE RECENT PAST. THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THE FLT ATTENDANTS' ROLE AS ADVOCATES DURING THIS EVENT. HE SAID THAT THEIR STRONG STAND PUSHED HIM TO CONTACT THE SUPVR FOR MORE INFO AND THE SUPVR FOUND OUT ABOUT THE MISFUELING.

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.

An air carrier flight crew finds that their aircraft had fuel in the center tank even though it was MEL'd as unusable because of an internal fuel leak.