B767 being fueled prior to flight and fuel xferred out of the center tank with the xfeed valve open....

Attributes
ACN	384571
Time
Date	199710
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zma
State Reference	FL
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zma
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	384571
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	384570
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After doing original preflight, a fueler came up to change the fuel panel to xfer some fuel out of the center tank to get the level down to 1000 pounds to comply with the new FAA directive. We departed normally, with the fuel confign light on due to the fuel in the center tank with the pumps off. On en route fuel checks, I noted total fuel and that the fuel confign light was still on. Late in the flight, I noted a large imbalance between the wing tanks. It was then that we discovered the xfeed valve had never been closed by the fueler in lax. Due to our believing the fuel confign light was because of the center tank limitation, we never suspected anything else. We then turned off the right wing fuel pumps, leaving the xfeed open. On landing at mia, we had about a 5000 pound imbalance in the wing tanks. Landing was normal and maintenance was notified, though they didn't feel any action was necessary. Supplemental information from acn 384570: fueler at lax opened xfeed to reduce fuel in center tank. I missed closing the xfeed. Had 2 medical emergencys. Checked total fuel at each waypoint but missed xfeed and fuel imbalance. Caught difference to land with approximately 5000 pound fuel imbalance. My mistake but this is a fallacy of having center tank fuel with pumps off and fuel confign light on.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 BEING FUELED PRIOR TO FLT AND FUEL XFERRED OUT OF THE CTR TANK WITH THE XFEED VALVE OPEN. FUELER FAILED TO CLOSE THE XFEED AND FLC DIDN'T NOTICE IT UNTIL INFLT WHEN A 5000 LB IMBALANCE BECAME EVIDENT.

Narrative: AFTER DOING ORIGINAL PREFLT, A FUELER CAME UP TO CHANGE THE FUEL PANEL TO XFER SOME FUEL OUT OF THE CTR TANK TO GET THE LEVEL DOWN TO 1000 LBS TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW FAA DIRECTIVE. WE DEPARTED NORMALLY, WITH THE FUEL CONFIGN LIGHT ON DUE TO THE FUEL IN THE CTR TANK WITH THE PUMPS OFF. ON ENRTE FUEL CHKS, I NOTED TOTAL FUEL AND THAT THE FUEL CONFIGN LIGHT WAS STILL ON. LATE IN THE FLT, I NOTED A LARGE IMBALANCE BTWN THE WING TANKS. IT WAS THEN THAT WE DISCOVERED THE XFEED VALVE HAD NEVER BEEN CLOSED BY THE FUELER IN LAX. DUE TO OUR BELIEVING THE FUEL CONFIGN LIGHT WAS BECAUSE OF THE CTR TANK LIMITATION, WE NEVER SUSPECTED ANYTHING ELSE. WE THEN TURNED OFF THE R WING FUEL PUMPS, LEAVING THE XFEED OPEN. ON LNDG AT MIA, WE HAD ABOUT A 5000 LB IMBALANCE IN THE WING TANKS. LNDG WAS NORMAL AND MAINT WAS NOTIFIED, THOUGH THEY DIDN'T FEEL ANY ACTION WAS NECESSARY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 384570: FUELER AT LAX OPENED XFEED TO REDUCE FUEL IN CTR TANK. I MISSED CLOSING THE XFEED. HAD 2 MEDICAL EMERS. CHKED TOTAL FUEL AT EACH WAYPOINT BUT MISSED XFEED AND FUEL IMBALANCE. CAUGHT DIFFERENCE TO LAND WITH APPROX 5000 LB FUEL IMBALANCE. MY MISTAKE BUT THIS IS A FALLACY OF HAVING CTR TANK FUEL WITH PUMPS OFF AND FUEL CONFIGN LIGHT ON.

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.

B767 being fueled prior to flight and fuel xferred out of the center tank with the xfeed valve open. Fueler failed to close the xfeed and flight crew didn't notice it until in-flight when a 5000 pound imbalance became evident.