Narrative:

Just after starting the left engine a ramp agent passed me a note through our communications hatch letting me know some fuel was dripping from a vent in the nacelle. This particular aircraft had a history of this condition, and was coming from an epa kit for that engine. I had flown another aircraft type with a similar system and had a lot of experience with it. I let the ramp agent know I was aware of it, then we taxied for takeoff. A couple of days later I learned that our maintenance crew had gone to the station where we overnighted the aircraft and worked on the fuel leak, but we had not called them or written up the problem. During a routine ramp check by an FAA inspector, the maintenance write-up and corrective action was noted and he wondered how maintenance knew of the leak, and went out to fix it. Nobody seems to know, maybe the ramp agent told maintenance or someone at the overnight station noticed it and told them. I continued with the flight in all innocence, going from my past experience, I didn't see a problem, but hindsight being 20/20, I probably let my guard down. Supplemental information from acn 373185: on the evening of jun/xa/97, in st louis, mo, I performed my normal walkaround inspection of aircraft (an ATR72) before flying my final leg of the day to springfield, mo. During the preflight, I noticed a very small area of fuel under the left engine. I advised my captain of what I had found and after inspecting it, determined that it was nothing to be concerned about. He told me he had seen it before and it just meant the collecting can was full, and as soon as we started the engine the excess fuel would be returned to the main system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING AN OVERNIGHT STAY AT AN OUT STATION, A MAINT TEAM REPAIRED A SLIGHT FUEL LEAK OR OVERFLOW PROB ON THE L ENG OF AN ATR72. THE FLC WAS AWARE OF THE PROB, BUT THOUGHT THAT THE FUEL DROPS WERE COMING FROM THE AFTER SHUTDOWN FUEL COLLECTION RESERVOIR OVERFLOW. THIS WAS NOT ENTERED IN THE MAINT LOG AND LATER THE FAA INVESTIGATED THE REPAIR AND THE FLC'S ACTIONS.

Narrative: JUST AFTER STARTING THE L ENG A RAMP AGENT PASSED ME A NOTE THROUGH OUR COMS HATCH LETTING ME KNOW SOME FUEL WAS DRIPPING FROM A VENT IN THE NACELLE. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF THIS CONDITION, AND WAS COMING FROM AN EPA KIT FOR THAT ENG. I HAD FLOWN ANOTHER ACFT TYPE WITH A SIMILAR SYS AND HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH IT. I LET THE RAMP AGENT KNOW I WAS AWARE OF IT, THEN WE TAXIED FOR TKOF. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I LEARNED THAT OUR MAINT CREW HAD GONE TO THE STATION WHERE WE OVERNIGHTED THE ACFT AND WORKED ON THE FUEL LEAK, BUT WE HAD NOT CALLED THEM OR WRITTEN UP THE PROB. DURING A ROUTINE RAMP CHK BY AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE MAINT WRITE-UP AND CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS NOTED AND HE WONDERED HOW MAINT KNEW OF THE LEAK, AND WENT OUT TO FIX IT. NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW, MAYBE THE RAMP AGENT TOLD MAINT OR SOMEONE AT THE OVERNIGHT STATION NOTICED IT AND TOLD THEM. I CONTINUED WITH THE FLT IN ALL INNOCENCE, GOING FROM MY PAST EXPERIENCE, I DIDN'T SEE A PROB, BUT HINDSIGHT BEING 20/20, I PROBABLY LET MY GUARD DOWN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 373185: ON THE EVENING OF JUN/XA/97, IN ST LOUIS, MO, I PERFORMED MY NORMAL WALKAROUND INSPECTION OF ACFT (AN ATR72) BEFORE FLYING MY FINAL LEG OF THE DAY TO SPRINGFIELD, MO. DURING THE PREFLT, I NOTICED A VERY SMALL AREA OF FUEL UNDER THE L ENG. I ADVISED MY CAPT OF WHAT I HAD FOUND AND AFTER INSPECTING IT, DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. HE TOLD ME HE HAD SEEN IT BEFORE AND IT JUST MEANT THE COLLECTING CAN WAS FULL, AND AS SOON AS WE STARTED THE ENG THE EXCESS FUEL WOULD BE RETURNED TO THE MAIN SYS.

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.