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A DC9-30 on returning to the gate after a 2 pt 5 hour ground hold declared an emergency and evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft due to a wing vent tank fuel spillage.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 403960 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr |
| State Reference | NJ |
| 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 | DC-9 30 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 9000 |
| ASRS Report | 403960 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Long 2 1/2 hour ramp delay due WX. Had to return to terminal from ramp area because of a diabetic passenger. While being towed into gate area, we developed an unstoppable fuel spillage through fuel vent. Called airport rescue/fire fighting and decided to deplane passenger via rear airstairs onto ramp as no gate was available. The 94 passenger deplaned and were safely escorted across ramp to gate xx. All went smoothly. Crew did a great job. Notes: fuel spill alert came from mechanic on tug. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the fuel spillage was the 2.5 hour ground hold in the hot sun and expansion of the fuel as the tanks heated up. The reporter said no one was injured in the aircraft evacuate/evacuation as it was accomplished through the aft airstairs.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DC9-30 ON RETURNING TO THE GATE AFTER A 2 PT 5 HR GND HOLD DECLARED AN EMER AND EVACED THE ACFT DUE TO A WING VENT TANK FUEL SPILLAGE.
Narrative: LONG 2 1/2 HR RAMP DELAY DUE WX. HAD TO RETURN TO TERMINAL FROM RAMP AREA BECAUSE OF A DIABETIC PAX. WHILE BEING TOWED INTO GATE AREA, WE DEVELOPED AN UNSTOPPABLE FUEL SPILLAGE THROUGH FUEL VENT. CALLED ARPT RESCUE/FIRE FIGHTING AND DECIDED TO DEPLANE PAX VIA REAR AIRSTAIRS ONTO RAMP AS NO GATE WAS AVAILABLE. THE 94 PAX DEPLANED AND WERE SAFELY ESCORTED ACROSS RAMP TO GATE XX. ALL WENT SMOOTHLY. CREW DID A GREAT JOB. NOTES: FUEL SPILL ALERT CAME FROM MECH ON TUG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE FUEL SPILLAGE WAS THE 2.5 HR GND HOLD IN THE HOT SUN AND EXPANSION OF THE FUEL AS THE TANKS HEATED UP. THE RPTR SAID NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THE ACFT EVAC AS IT WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE AFT AIRSTAIRS.
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.