Narrative:

Air carrier flight xyz dfw-den. Departure and climb out were normal. Just prior to leveloff at FL260, the center boost pump lights came on indicating the center fuel tank was close to empty. At that time, I turned the center tank pumps off and noticed the right wing tank quantity was 1500 pounds lower than the left -- they should have both indicated approximately 10000 pounds (full). I xfed to balance the wings. Each quantity was 8000 pounds. Just a few mins later, while the first officer and I were discussing the fuel situation, 'the using reserve fuel' prompt appeared on our CDU. This helped confirm we were losing fuel and needed to land as soon as possible. Oklahoma city was our closest airport. I notified ARTCC we needed to land immediately at okc and the first officer advised air carrier. I briefed the cabin crew and made an announcement to the passenger. Continuing our evaluation of our situation. We checked circuit breakers and noted normal engine indications. The only answer was a large fuel leak. We continued our descent for a VFR landing on runway 31, 10-15 mins after turning towards okc. The landing was normal. After turning off the runway, I shut down the right engine and asked the tower if the leak had stopped. We were told on rollout tower personnel could see leaking fuel. I was told by tower the leak had ceased then called back and told the leak and started again. I shut down the left engine and advised the cabin crew and passenger I wanted to evacuate the aircraft using the left door slides only. The evacuation was calm and orderly with no passenger injuries. One flight attendant injured her ankle. I was shown later the ruptured fuel filter in the right engine that had caused the loss of fuel. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a B737-500 and when on the ground and maintenance opened the #2 engine, it was discovered the engine fuel filter cover including the fasteners and helicoils had pulled completely out of the filter housing and exposed a gap of 1 inch. Callback conversation with reporter acn 433576 revealed the following information: the reporter stated all the signs of a large fuel loss were present with the center tank boost pumps blinking, the right tank quantity indication lower than the left and then the FMS prompt 'using reserve fuel.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-500 AT LEVELOFF FL260 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO MASSIVE LOSS OF FUEL FROM THE R MAIN TANK CAUSED BY #2 ENG FUEL FILTER HOUSING COVER SEPARATION.

Narrative: ACR FLT XYZ DFW-DEN. DEP AND CLBOUT WERE NORMAL. JUST PRIOR TO LEVELOFF AT FL260, THE CTR BOOST PUMP LIGHTS CAME ON INDICATING THE CTR FUEL TANK WAS CLOSE TO EMPTY. AT THAT TIME, I TURNED THE CTR TANK PUMPS OFF AND NOTICED THE R WING TANK QUANTITY WAS 1500 LBS LOWER THAN THE L -- THEY SHOULD HAVE BOTH INDICATED APPROX 10000 LBS (FULL). I XFED TO BAL THE WINGS. EACH QUANTITY WAS 8000 LBS. JUST A FEW MINS LATER, WHILE THE FO AND I WERE DISCUSSING THE FUEL SIT, 'THE USING RESERVE FUEL' PROMPT APPEARED ON OUR CDU. THIS HELPED CONFIRM WE WERE LOSING FUEL AND NEEDED TO LAND ASAP. OKLAHOMA CITY WAS OUR CLOSEST ARPT. I NOTIFIED ARTCC WE NEEDED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY AT OKC AND THE FO ADVISED ACR. I BRIEFED THE CABIN CREW AND MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX. CONTINUING OUR EVALUATION OF OUR SIT. WE CHKED CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND NOTED NORMAL ENG INDICATIONS. THE ONLY ANSWER WAS A LARGE FUEL LEAK. WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT FOR A VFR LNDG ON RWY 31, 10-15 MINS AFTER TURNING TOWARDS OKC. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL. AFTER TURNING OFF THE RWY, I SHUT DOWN THE R ENG AND ASKED THE TWR IF THE LEAK HAD STOPPED. WE WERE TOLD ON ROLLOUT TWR PERSONNEL COULD SEE LEAKING FUEL. I WAS TOLD BY TWR THE LEAK HAD CEASED THEN CALLED BACK AND TOLD THE LEAK AND STARTED AGAIN. I SHUT DOWN THE L ENG AND ADVISED THE CABIN CREW AND PAX I WANTED TO EVACUATE THE ACFT USING THE L DOOR SLIDES ONLY. THE EVACUATION WAS CALM AND ORDERLY WITH NO PAX INJURIES. ONE FLT ATTENDANT INJURED HER ANKLE. I WAS SHOWN LATER THE RUPTURED FUEL FILTER IN THE R ENG THAT HAD CAUSED THE LOSS OF FUEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A B737-500 AND WHEN ON THE GND AND MAINT OPENED THE #2 ENG, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE ENG FUEL FILTER COVER INCLUDING THE FASTENERS AND HELICOILS HAD PULLED COMPLETELY OUT OF THE FILTER HOUSING AND EXPOSED A GAP OF 1 INCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 433576 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED ALL THE SIGNS OF A LARGE FUEL LOSS WERE PRESENT WITH THE CTR TANK BOOST PUMPS BLINKING, THE R TANK QUANTITY INDICATION LOWER THAN THE L AND THEN THE FMS PROMPT 'USING RESERVE FUEL.'

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.