Narrative:

While accomplishing the after takeoff checklist I noted that the right fuel gauge was decreasing rapidly. At same time a passenger reported to flight attendant seeing fuel coming off right wing. We declared emergency, returned to ewr, uneventful landing. I recalled that just prior to doing walkaround exterior inspection, a mechanic told me he was about to xfer fuel. During walkaround, I noticed fuel panel was open. Later, the mechanic met the captain and told him the xfer was complete. Apparently the mechanic failed to close the defueling valve and this caused fuel to be xferred from right tank to left tank, which was full, and then vented overboard. Could be prevented (hopefully) by requiring logbook entry for fuel xfers, noting the resetting of switches and valves. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this MD80 first officer said that he did not watch the mechanic close the fueling panel after he had completed the fuel xfer. He did, however, watch the reopening of the panel to the xfer valve. The reporter felt that the flight crew and ATC handled the problem fairly well. He said one peculiarity was with the last departure controller who, after they had declared an emergency and requested to return to lga, continued to give them their normal down route clearance. The controller did this 3 times, according to the reporter, before he reacted properly. The reporter said that, now that the event is over, he finds this an amusing human factors study.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 ACR FLC HAS FUEL XFER FROM THE R TANK TO THE ALREADY FULL L TANK AND THEN OUT OF THE OVERFLOW VENT UNDER THE R WINGTIP. THE FLC DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LGA WHERE THE FUEL XFER VALVE WAS DISCOVERED TO BE STILL OPEN.

Narrative: WHILE ACCOMPLISHING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST I NOTED THAT THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS DECREASING RAPIDLY. AT SAME TIME A PAX RPTED TO FLT ATTENDANT SEEING FUEL COMING OFF R WING. WE DECLARED EMER, RETURNED TO EWR, UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I RECALLED THAT JUST PRIOR TO DOING WALKAROUND EXTERIOR INSPECTION, A MECH TOLD ME HE WAS ABOUT TO XFER FUEL. DURING WALKAROUND, I NOTICED FUEL PANEL WAS OPEN. LATER, THE MECH MET THE CAPT AND TOLD HIM THE XFER WAS COMPLETE. APPARENTLY THE MECH FAILED TO CLOSE THE DEFUELING VALVE AND THIS CAUSED FUEL TO BE XFERRED FROM R TANK TO L TANK, WHICH WAS FULL, AND THEN VENTED OVERBOARD. COULD BE PREVENTED (HOPEFULLY) BY REQUIRING LOGBOOK ENTRY FOR FUEL XFERS, NOTING THE RESETTING OF SWITCHES AND VALVES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS MD80 FO SAID THAT HE DID NOT WATCH THE MECH CLOSE THE FUELING PANEL AFTER HE HAD COMPLETED THE FUEL XFER. HE DID, HOWEVER, WATCH THE REOPENING OF THE PANEL TO THE XFER VALVE. THE RPTR FELT THAT THE FLC AND ATC HANDLED THE PROB FAIRLY WELL. HE SAID ONE PECULIARITY WAS WITH THE LAST DEP CTLR WHO, AFTER THEY HAD DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED TO RETURN TO LGA, CONTINUED TO GIVE THEM THEIR NORMAL DOWN RTE CLRNC. THE CTLR DID THIS 3 TIMES, ACCORDING TO THE RPTR, BEFORE HE REACTED PROPERLY. THE RPTR SAID THAT, NOW THAT THE EVENT IS OVER, HE FINDS THIS AN AMUSING HUMAN FACTORS STUDY.

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.