 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
B727 so accidentally opened the fuel system dump valve while refueling was in progress. This resulted in a fuel spill on the ramp.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 406972 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cvg |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : chs |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-100 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 18 flight time total : 1150 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 406972 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On arriving at the aircraft it was not fueled. I started the preflight and later talked to the fueler. I talked to him later and he said he had to stop fueling due to a spill out of the outboard wing fuel vents. Later it was observed by ramp personnel that fuel was dripping from the dump nozzles but not the vents. During preflight I had tested the fuel dump panel by opening all the valves, seeing the in-transit lights go on, and then closing the valves. Since the dump nozzle valves are at the end of the fueling manifold, if pressure fueling is underway fuel will go out the dump nozzles. At some point in my training I was told to check the valves this way rather than just testing the lights. The manual says just test the lights though. Checking the dump panel on entering the aircraft is emphasized but never opening the valves could be emphasized more since I have very good system and procedures knowledge and it still happened to me.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B727 SO ACCIDENTALLY OPENED THE FUEL SYS DUMP VALVE WHILE REFUELING WAS IN PROGRESS. THIS RESULTED IN A FUEL SPILL ON THE RAMP.
Narrative: ON ARRIVING AT THE ACFT IT WAS NOT FUELED. I STARTED THE PREFLT AND LATER TALKED TO THE FUELER. I TALKED TO HIM LATER AND HE SAID HE HAD TO STOP FUELING DUE TO A SPILL OUT OF THE OUTBOARD WING FUEL VENTS. LATER IT WAS OBSERVED BY RAMP PERSONNEL THAT FUEL WAS DRIPPING FROM THE DUMP NOZZLES BUT NOT THE VENTS. DURING PREFLT I HAD TESTED THE FUEL DUMP PANEL BY OPENING ALL THE VALVES, SEEING THE IN-TRANSIT LIGHTS GO ON, AND THEN CLOSING THE VALVES. SINCE THE DUMP NOZZLE VALVES ARE AT THE END OF THE FUELING MANIFOLD, IF PRESSURE FUELING IS UNDERWAY FUEL WILL GO OUT THE DUMP NOZZLES. AT SOME POINT IN MY TRAINING I WAS TOLD TO CHK THE VALVES THIS WAY RATHER THAN JUST TESTING THE LIGHTS. THE MANUAL SAYS JUST TEST THE LIGHTS THOUGH. CHKING THE DUMP PANEL ON ENTERING THE ACFT IS EMPHASIZED BUT NEVER OPENING THE VALVES COULD BE EMPHASIZED MORE SINCE I HAVE VERY GOOD SYS AND PROCS KNOWLEDGE AND IT STILL HAPPENED TO ME.
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.