Narrative:

XX55Z, frequency/altitude: ZLA near pke FL390. Location: 20 DME west pke, az. We were cruising at FL390 en route sna-dfw and approximately 20 NM west of pke. Another aircraft reported to ZLA on another frequency that we had a contrail behind the aircraft. Our controller reported that fact to us. A contrail at FL390 is not unusual so it didn't set off any alarms with us. About 4 mins later I checked the fuel and noticed that we were 3500 pounds under what we were supposed to have at pke. The first officer then noticed a 1500 pound imbal with the right tank low. We both monitored the fuel gauge for about 1 min and it was obvious that there was an abnormal burn. At this point I sent the first officer back to check the right wing for anything unusual. He came back and reported a significant amount of fuel coming from the right engine. At this point we were 110 NM west of phx and I calculated that based on the 29500 pounds and the rate of loss, we could easily make phx. An emergency was declared and we proceeded direct to phx. The first officer did a great job getting checklists accomplished, radio calls to phx, ACARS entries, etc. I elected to keep both engines running in order to expedite getting the aircraft on the ground as quickly as possible. On touchdown I had the first officer shut down the right engine and pull the fire handle. We exited the runway and stopped and were met by the fire trucks. They reported that fuel was still leaking. The APU was started and the left engine was shut down. Shortly thereafter the fire department said that the fuel leak had stopped. This was after the fuel pumps were turned off. The fuel gauge read 15000 pounds and 17 mins had elapsed since we departed FL390 with 29500 pounds. A hole the size of a dime was found in the fuel line. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the way they caught the fuel leak was during a routine check of fuel quantity and balance. Upon discovering the fuel imbal and rate of fuel use, flight crew decided early to divert to phx, az. Shortly after touching down at phx, the captain shut down the engine that was using the most fuel, had the crash fire rescue equipment inspect the engine, then taxied to the parking gate. A few days later, upon reviewing what happened, the reporter was shown the actual fuel line that failed. It was a 4 ft long rubber hose with metal shrouding around it. The fuel line was about the size of a quarter, and the hole in the fuel line was about the size of a dime. The mechanics stated that it looked like the fuel line simply failed. There was no sign of rubbing on the fuel line, nor was there any sign of tampering or sabotage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLYING IN ZLA AIRSPACE, EXPERIENCES A SUDDEN LOSS OF FUEL. FLC CHKS RATE OF LOSS, DECLARES AN EMER AND LANDS AT PHX. MALFUNCTION IN THE FUEL LINE CAUSES THE LOSS OF FUEL.

Narrative: XX55Z, FREQ/ALT: ZLA NEAR PKE FL390. LOCATION: 20 DME W PKE, AZ. WE WERE CRUISING AT FL390 ENRTE SNA-DFW AND APPROX 20 NM W OF PKE. ANOTHER ACFT RPTED TO ZLA ON ANOTHER FREQ THAT WE HAD A CONTRAIL BEHIND THE ACFT. OUR CTLR RPTED THAT FACT TO US. A CONTRAIL AT FL390 IS NOT UNUSUAL SO IT DIDN'T SET OFF ANY ALARMS WITH US. ABOUT 4 MINS LATER I CHKED THE FUEL AND NOTICED THAT WE WERE 3500 LBS UNDER WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AT PKE. THE FO THEN NOTICED A 1500 LB IMBAL WITH THE R TANK LOW. WE BOTH MONITORED THE FUEL GAUGE FOR ABOUT 1 MIN AND IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL BURN. AT THIS POINT I SENT THE FO BACK TO CHK THE R WING FOR ANYTHING UNUSUAL. HE CAME BACK AND RPTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL COMING FROM THE R ENG. AT THIS POINT WE WERE 110 NM W OF PHX AND I CALCULATED THAT BASED ON THE 29500 LBS AND THE RATE OF LOSS, WE COULD EASILY MAKE PHX. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND WE PROCEEDED DIRECT TO PHX. THE FO DID A GREAT JOB GETTING CHKLISTS ACCOMPLISHED, RADIO CALLS TO PHX, ACARS ENTRIES, ETC. I ELECTED TO KEEP BOTH ENGS RUNNING IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE GETTING THE ACFT ON THE GND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. ON TOUCHDOWN I HAD THE FO SHUT DOWN THE R ENG AND PULL THE FIRE HANDLE. WE EXITED THE RWY AND STOPPED AND WERE MET BY THE FIRE TRUCKS. THEY RPTED THAT FUEL WAS STILL LEAKING. THE APU WAS STARTED AND THE L ENG WAS SHUT DOWN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE FIRE DEPT SAID THAT THE FUEL LEAK HAD STOPPED. THIS WAS AFTER THE FUEL PUMPS WERE TURNED OFF. THE FUEL GAUGE READ 15000 LBS AND 17 MINS HAD ELAPSED SINCE WE DEPARTED FL390 WITH 29500 LBS. A HOLE THE SIZE OF A DIME WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL LINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE WAY THEY CAUGHT THE FUEL LEAK WAS DURING A ROUTINE CHK OF FUEL QUANTITY AND BAL. UPON DISCOVERING THE FUEL IMBAL AND RATE OF FUEL USE, FLC DECIDED EARLY TO DIVERT TO PHX, AZ. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHING DOWN AT PHX, THE CAPT SHUT DOWN THE ENG THAT WAS USING THE MOST FUEL, HAD THE CFR INSPECT THE ENG, THEN TAXIED TO THE PARKING GATE. A FEW DAYS LATER, UPON REVIEWING WHAT HAPPENED, THE RPTR WAS SHOWN THE ACTUAL FUEL LINE THAT FAILED. IT WAS A 4 FT LONG RUBBER HOSE WITH METAL SHROUDING AROUND IT. THE FUEL LINE WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER, AND THE HOLE IN THE FUEL LINE WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A DIME. THE MECHS STATED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE THE FUEL LINE SIMPLY FAILED. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF RUBBING ON THE FUEL LINE, NOR WAS THERE ANY SIGN OF TAMPERING OR SABOTAGE.

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.