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A B767 in cruise discovered a fuel imbal of 13200 pounds due to #1 tank fuel boost check valve stuck open and cockpit cleanup inspection not done.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 494448 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200012 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cak.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine |
| ASRS Report | 494448 |
| 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 other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel qty indicators other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | communication equipment : zid.artcc |
Narrative:
During cockpit cleanup inspection, I failed to notice that the fuel xfeed valve was open. As a result, about 1 hour into the flight, the captain noticed a fuel imbal of 12000 pounds -- about 27400 pounds in the left wing and 15400 pounds in the right wing. I had checked total fuel quantity against the flight plan, but had failed to notice the split. Also, we had suppressed the fuel confign EICAS message because we had 1700 pounds of fuel in the center tank -- 1000 pounds of which was ballast fuel. The fuel confign light overhead was on for the same reason. It did not cause me to notice the imbal because I was expecting it to be on due to our center tank fuel. We secured the left main fuel pumps, and over 1 hour balanced the fuel load. This is a dangerous situation. We were at cruise speed when it happened. The autoplt was holding the right wing down with about 3 degrees of yoke input. How much aileron authority/authorized we would have had at low speed is unknown.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B767 IN CRUISE DISCOVERED A FUEL IMBAL OF 13200 LBS DUE TO #1 TANK FUEL BOOST CHK VALVE STUCK OPEN AND COCKPIT CLEANUP INSPECTION NOT DONE.
Narrative: DURING COCKPIT CLEANUP INSPECTION, I FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THE FUEL XFEED VALVE WAS OPEN. AS A RESULT, ABOUT 1 HR INTO THE FLT, THE CAPT NOTICED A FUEL IMBAL OF 12000 LBS -- ABOUT 27400 LBS IN THE L WING AND 15400 LBS IN THE R WING. I HAD CHKED TOTAL FUEL QUANTITY AGAINST THE FLT PLAN, BUT HAD FAILED TO NOTICE THE SPLIT. ALSO, WE HAD SUPPRESSED THE FUEL CONFIGN EICAS MESSAGE BECAUSE WE HAD 1700 LBS OF FUEL IN THE CTR TANK -- 1000 LBS OF WHICH WAS BALLAST FUEL. THE FUEL CONFIGN LIGHT OVERHEAD WAS ON FOR THE SAME REASON. IT DID NOT CAUSE ME TO NOTICE THE IMBAL BECAUSE I WAS EXPECTING IT TO BE ON DUE TO OUR CTR TANK FUEL. WE SECURED THE L MAIN FUEL PUMPS, AND OVER 1 HR BALANCED THE FUEL LOAD. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SIT. WE WERE AT CRUISE SPD WHEN IT HAPPENED. THE AUTOPLT WAS HOLDING THE R WING DOWN WITH ABOUT 3 DEGS OF YOKE INPUT. HOW MUCH AILERON AUTH WE WOULD HAVE HAD AT LOW SPD IS UNKNOWN.
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.