Narrative:

Approximately 30 mins after departing mht for ord, we were at cruise, FL350, .80 mach. Flight attendant advised us that a passenger noticed the left wing was 'leaking.' I left the cockpit to do a visual inspection of the left wing. It appeared to me that the left wing was leaking significantly, in the vicinity of the inboard-most flight spoiler and behind (aft of) the left nacelle. Because we had been delayed out of mht to fix a left engine fuel leak, and my visual inspection indicated a probably fuel leak, we contacted maintenance via ACARS. Maintenance also suspected a fuel leak based on our description of the situation. The captain and I accomplished the checklist for in-flight fuel leak, which directs the crew to shut down the affected engine. The captain selected syr as the nearest, suitable airfield, and accomplished a single-engine landing at syr. An emergency was declared. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that this was a B757 that had been worked on at an outlying station by contracted maintenance for a fuel leak on the engine involved. The problem discovered at that point was a loose fitting on a fuel line in the engine compartment above the oil filler access door. The passenger who called the leak to the crew's attention reported that the leak stopped when the engine was shut down.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR B757-200 DIVERTS TO ENRTE ARPT AFTER ENG SHUT DOWN BECAUSE OF FUEL LEAK DISCOVERED BY A PAX.

Narrative: APPROX 30 MINS AFTER DEPARTING MHT FOR ORD, WE WERE AT CRUISE, FL350, .80 MACH. FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED US THAT A PAX NOTICED THE L WING WAS 'LEAKING.' I LEFT THE COCKPIT TO DO A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE L WING. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THE L WING WAS LEAKING SIGNIFICANTLY, IN THE VICINITY OF THE INBOARD-MOST FLT SPOILER AND BEHIND (AFT OF) THE L NACELLE. BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN DELAYED OUT OF MHT TO FIX A L ENG FUEL LEAK, AND MY VISUAL INSPECTION INDICATED A PROBABLY FUEL LEAK, WE CONTACTED MAINT VIA ACARS. MAINT ALSO SUSPECTED A FUEL LEAK BASED ON OUR DESCRIPTION OF THE SIT. THE CAPT AND I ACCOMPLISHED THE CHKLIST FOR INFLT FUEL LEAK, WHICH DIRECTS THE CREW TO SHUT DOWN THE AFFECTED ENG. THE CAPT SELECTED SYR AS THE NEAREST, SUITABLE AIRFIELD, AND ACCOMPLISHED A SINGLE-ENG LNDG AT SYR. AN EMER WAS DECLARED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THIS WAS A B757 THAT HAD BEEN WORKED ON AT AN OUTLYING STATION BY CONTRACTED MAINT FOR A FUEL LEAK ON THE ENG INVOLVED. THE PROB DISCOVERED AT THAT POINT WAS A LOOSE FITTING ON A FUEL LINE IN THE ENG COMPARTMENT ABOVE THE OIL FILLER ACCESS DOOR. THE PAX WHO CALLED THE LEAK TO THE CREW'S ATTN RPTED THAT THE LEAK STOPPED WHEN THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN.

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.