S80 leaking or seeping fuel from the top of left wing near the fuel boost pump cover. Problem noted ...

Attributes
ACN	379440
Time
Date	199709
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zdv
State Reference	CO
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv tower : dal
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	379440
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

In cruise flight, passenger reported liquid seeping from left aft fuel tank boost pump cover. First officer went back to inspect and confirmed the fluid seepage. Spoke to technician on common radio frequency and they indicated that as long as seepage was minimal and not a leak confirmed on the fuel gauges to continue normally to destination and seek maintenance attention. Followed recommendation and continued normally to smf after turning off the wing tank heater system and not noticing any perceived fuel loss or burn en route after the discovery. Guidance in S80 operations manual was only to land at nearest suitable airport if a leak was confirmed which in this case I deemed it was not. First officer also established that seepage had ceased prior to descent. As a precaution had fire trucks follow us into the gate at smf after landing. No further seepage was reported through gate arrival. Maintenance confirmed that the seepage was within limits after the tanks were filled again, prior to dispatching us for return to dfw. As a precaution fuel tank heater system was placarded inoperative as well. After this experience, I recommend better guidance for this situation in the S80 operations manual part 1 and if possible the S80 MEL.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: S80 LEAKING OR SEEPING FUEL FROM THE TOP OF L WING NEAR THE FUEL BOOST PUMP COVER. PROB NOTED BY PAX. CREW CONTACTS MAINT CTL AND FLT IS OK TO PROCEED TO DEST. ACFT THEN MEL'ED FOR RETURN FLT TO DFW. CAPT RPTR ASKS FOR MORE DEFINITION IN OPERATING MANUAL AND MEL.

Narrative: IN CRUISE FLT, PAX RPTED LIQUID SEEPING FROM L AFT FUEL TANK BOOST PUMP COVER. FO WENT BACK TO INSPECT AND CONFIRMED THE FLUID SEEPAGE. SPOKE TO TECHNICIAN ON COMMON RADIO FREQ AND THEY INDICATED THAT AS LONG AS SEEPAGE WAS MINIMAL AND NOT A LEAK CONFIRMED ON THE FUEL GAUGES TO CONTINUE NORMALLY TO DEST AND SEEK MAINT ATTN. FOLLOWED RECOMMENDATION AND CONTINUED NORMALLY TO SMF AFTER TURNING OFF THE WING TANK HEATER SYS AND NOT NOTICING ANY PERCEIVED FUEL LOSS OR BURN ENRTE AFTER THE DISCOVERY. GUIDANCE IN S80 OPS MANUAL WAS ONLY TO LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT IF A LEAK WAS CONFIRMED WHICH IN THIS CASE I DEEMED IT WAS NOT. FO ALSO ESTABLISHED THAT SEEPAGE HAD CEASED PRIOR TO DSCNT. AS A PRECAUTION HAD FIRE TRUCKS FOLLOW US INTO THE GATE AT SMF AFTER LNDG. NO FURTHER SEEPAGE WAS RPTED THROUGH GATE ARR. MAINT CONFIRMED THAT THE SEEPAGE WAS WITHIN LIMITS AFTER THE TANKS WERE FILLED AGAIN, PRIOR TO DISPATCHING US FOR RETURN TO DFW. AS A PRECAUTION FUEL TANK HEATER SYS WAS PLACARDED INOP AS WELL. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, I RECOMMEND BETTER GUIDANCE FOR THIS SIT IN THE S80 OPS MANUAL PART 1 AND IF POSSIBLE THE S80 MEL.

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.