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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A B767 in cruise discovered an unwanted fuel xfer caused by the xfeed valve left open. No fuel confign warning from EICAS due to center tank ballast requirement.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 398304 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199803 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zny |
| State Reference | NY |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny |
| 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 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 398304 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
42 mins into flight at first fuel chkpoint, I noticed a fuel imbal of 5600 pounds. The limitation for a B767 with that fuel load was 2100 pounds. We discovered the xfeed valve open. It was opened by a mechanic at ZZZ who was xferring fuel and forgot to close it. It is very easy to overlook it on the before start checklist and we did. Normally a fuel confign EICAS message would have alerted us at about 2000 pounds. But due to new requirement to carry center tank ballast fuel that EICAS message was already indicated. It masked a serious developing imbal. I will be more vigilant regarding fuel whenever carrying ballast fuel. Regaining balanced fuel by xfeed took 30 mins.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B767 IN CRUISE DISCOVERED AN UNWANTED FUEL XFER CAUSED BY THE XFEED VALVE LEFT OPEN. NO FUEL CONFIGN WARNING FROM EICAS DUE TO CTR TANK BALLAST REQUIREMENT.
Narrative: 42 MINS INTO FLT AT FIRST FUEL CHKPOINT, I NOTICED A FUEL IMBAL OF 5600 LBS. THE LIMITATION FOR A B767 WITH THAT FUEL LOAD WAS 2100 LBS. WE DISCOVERED THE XFEED VALVE OPEN. IT WAS OPENED BY A MECH AT ZZZ WHO WAS XFERRING FUEL AND FORGOT TO CLOSE IT. IT IS VERY EASY TO OVERLOOK IT ON THE BEFORE START CHKLIST AND WE DID. NORMALLY A FUEL CONFIGN EICAS MESSAGE WOULD HAVE ALERTED US AT ABOUT 2000 LBS. BUT DUE TO NEW REQUIREMENT TO CARRY CTR TANK BALLAST FUEL THAT EICAS MESSAGE WAS ALREADY INDICATED. IT MASKED A SERIOUS DEVELOPING IMBAL. I WILL BE MORE VIGILANT REGARDING FUEL WHENEVER CARRYING BALLAST FUEL. REGAINING BALANCED FUEL BY XFEED TOOK 30 MINS.
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.