A BAE3100 was dispatched with a 2 drop per min fuel leak from #1 engine.

Attributes
ACN	380259
Time
Date	199709
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
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	Jetstream 31
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	380259
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This was my first flight of the day. After a preflight inspection of the aircraft was done by my first officer, he reported a fuel leak out of the left engine. The fuel leak was approximately 1 drip per 30 seconds out of 1 of the 6 vents located under the engine. I called maintenance control and told them about the leak. Maintenance control said the leak was acceptable and to fly the aircraft to sfo where our maintenance would evaluate the leak. We loaded passenger, started the engines and departed. After departure we called our local base with out and off times. At that time they reported to us that fuel gushed out of the engine when it started. We returned to base to have the problem taken care of. No leak was found by maintenance, the problem did not duplicate. I felt maintenance should not have advised us to depart without a mechanic visually inspecting the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BAE3100 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A 2 DROP PER MIN FUEL LEAK FROM #1 ENG.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT OF THE DAY. AFTER A PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT WAS DONE BY MY FO, HE RPTED A FUEL LEAK OUT OF THE L ENG. THE FUEL LEAK WAS APPROX 1 DRIP PER 30 SECONDS OUT OF 1 OF THE 6 VENTS LOCATED UNDER THE ENG. I CALLED MAINT CTL AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE LEAK. MAINT CTL SAID THE LEAK WAS ACCEPTABLE AND TO FLY THE ACFT TO SFO WHERE OUR MAINT WOULD EVALUATE THE LEAK. WE LOADED PAX, STARTED THE ENGS AND DEPARTED. AFTER DEP WE CALLED OUR LCL BASE WITH OUT AND OFF TIMES. AT THAT TIME THEY RPTED TO US THAT FUEL GUSHED OUT OF THE ENG WHEN IT STARTED. WE RETURNED TO BASE TO HAVE THE PROB TAKEN CARE OF. NO LEAK WAS FOUND BY MAINT, THE PROB DID NOT DUPLICATE. I FELT MAINT SHOULD NOT HAVE ADVISED US TO DEPART WITHOUT A MECH VISUALLY INSPECTING THE ACFT.

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.