Narrative:

During a flight from lal to psc at the approximately location and time above, one of our passenger entered to cockpit to inform us that a substance was leaking along the side of the fuselage. I left the cockpit for a visual look and made the determination that the leak was a major fuel leak in one of our forward auxiliary tanks. I returned to the cockpit and informed ATC we would be changing our destination to mem and are turning to a 330 degree heading and proceeding direct. I did not declare an emergency as my immediate attention was focused on stopping the flow of fuel into the right engine. Both crew members engaged in solving this problem while the FMS and autoplt was heading the aircraft 330 degrees to mem. ATC advised us later on the ground via phone that we either did not acknowledge or did not comply with a direction to turn to a heading of 280 degrees for traffic. We did see an aircraft on TCASII which was not a threat or in our warning area. ATC advised us later that this was an airliner that they had to turn to protect its area. No altitude space was invaded at any time according to ATC. As this was the first flight with this aircraft's new 'north' numbers it is possible I missed the call with my attention focused on the fuel problem. My first remembrance of a call from ATC was to maintain a heading of 330 degrees which we were currently flying. We corrected the problem and made a precautionary landing at mem to have maintenance correct the problem before proceeding on to psc. We did not feel the necessity to declare an emergency. As we controled the problem and removed the aircraft from danger, we were not aware of the conflict until we were asked to call ATC upon our arrival in mem. ATC advised they were still investigating the situation and would advise me of their future actions. They did advise me that no one was in immediate danger, but because of diverting an airliner action might be taken against me. My immediate concern was the safety of my aircraft with our TCASII warning us of a possible hazard to other aircraft. I feel ATC did a great job for all concerned and the end result was positive for all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DIVERTED FLT FOR SUSPECTED FUEL LEAK, BUT DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER. ATC ASSIGNED A HEADING, BUT FLC DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE OR FLY THE HDG. THUS, ATC HAD TO DIVERT AN ACR ACFT TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION. RPTR SAYS PAX ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO ADVISE THEM OF A FLUID LEAK AND CAPT CHKED IT VISUALLY DETERMINING IT TO BE FUEL.

Narrative: DURING A FLT FROM LAL TO PSC AT THE APPROX LOCATION AND TIME ABOVE, ONE OF OUR PAX ENTERED TO COCKPIT TO INFORM US THAT A SUBSTANCE WAS LEAKING ALONG THE SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. I LEFT THE COCKPIT FOR A VISUAL LOOK AND MADE THE DETERMINATION THAT THE LEAK WAS A MAJOR FUEL LEAK IN ONE OF OUR FORWARD AUX TANKS. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED ATC WE WOULD BE CHANGING OUR DEST TO MEM AND ARE TURNING TO A 330 DEG HDG AND PROCEEDING DIRECT. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AS MY IMMEDIATE ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON STOPPING THE FLOW OF FUEL INTO THE R ENG. BOTH CREW MEMBERS ENGAGED IN SOLVING THIS PROB WHILE THE FMS AND AUTOPLT WAS HEADING THE ACFT 330 DEGS TO MEM. ATC ADVISED US LATER ON THE GND VIA PHONE THAT WE EITHER DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE OR DID NOT COMPLY WITH A DIRECTION TO TURN TO A HDG OF 280 DEGS FOR TFC. WE DID SEE AN ACFT ON TCASII WHICH WAS NOT A THREAT OR IN OUR WARNING AREA. ATC ADVISED US LATER THAT THIS WAS AN AIRLINER THAT THEY HAD TO TURN TO PROTECT ITS AREA. NO ALT SPACE WAS INVADED AT ANY TIME ACCORDING TO ATC. AS THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT WITH THIS ACFT'S NEW 'N' NUMBERS IT IS POSSIBLE I MISSED THE CALL WITH MY ATTN FOCUSED ON THE FUEL PROB. MY FIRST REMEMBRANCE OF A CALL FROM ATC WAS TO MAINTAIN A HDG OF 330 DEGS WHICH WE WERE CURRENTLY FLYING. WE CORRECTED THE PROB AND MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT MEM TO HAVE MAINT CORRECT THE PROB BEFORE PROCEEDING ON TO PSC. WE DID NOT FEEL THE NECESSITY TO DECLARE AN EMER. AS WE CTLED THE PROB AND REMOVED THE ACFT FROM DANGER, WE WERE NOT AWARE OF THE CONFLICT UNTIL WE WERE ASKED TO CALL ATC UPON OUR ARR IN MEM. ATC ADVISED THEY WERE STILL INVESTIGATING THE SIT AND WOULD ADVISE ME OF THEIR FUTURE ACTIONS. THEY DID ADVISE ME THAT NO ONE WAS IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, BUT BECAUSE OF DIVERTING AN AIRLINER ACTION MIGHT BE TAKEN AGAINST ME. MY IMMEDIATE CONCERN WAS THE SAFETY OF MY ACFT WITH OUR TCASII WARNING US OF A POSSIBLE HAZARD TO OTHER ACFT. I FEEL ATC DID A GREAT JOB FOR ALL CONCERNED AND THE END RESULT WAS POSITIVE FOR ALL.

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.