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An A320 flight crew return land when passenger notes fluid, later idented as fuel, coming out from under the right wing during departure climb near pxr, az.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 495300 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200012 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : pxr.vortac |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 16000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p50.tracon tower : lfpg.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other other vortac |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 495300 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7900 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 495049 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ecam other other : pax 3 |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : overrode automation flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | other other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Climbing through 10000 ft MSL, our first flight attendant came into the cockpit. She told us that passenger on the right side of the aircraft saw some sort of fluid streaming from the back of the right wing. I sent our jump seater (a company pilot) back to look at the wing and report back what he saw. He confirmed that there was a steady stream of fluid coming from under the right wing. I had already checked the ECAM fuel and hydraulic pages and verified that everything was normal. Not knowing what was coming from the right wing, I elected to turn back to phx. We were climbing through 16000 ft when we turned around. During the descent, ECAM gave us a low pressure warning on center tank pump #1. When I reached up to shut off the center tank pumps, I saw that the center tank mode selector was in the manual mode. It was at this point that I realized what had happened to create this situation. However, we were now committed to returning to phx. I had already told the passenger that we were returning due to an unknown fluid leaking from the right wing. I had no confidence that I could convince them that we had fixed the problem and were safe to fly to phl. This necessitated landing overweight (about 9000 pounds over our maximum weight of 142198 pounds). The landing was uneventful (less than 200 FPM on contact) and we taxied back to the gate. Now for some backgnd information: during the refueling process before pushback, we got an ECAM message and fuel automatic feed fault and instructions, 'turn on center tank pumps #1 and #2.' the mode is left in manual. This happens on a daily basis when the center tank is filled to more than 550 pounds and the left or right wing tank has less than 11000 pounds of fuel. However, when the fueling was finished, I forgot to put the mode back into automatic as is required anytime the center tank pumps are selected on for takeoff. The automatic mode prevents the center tank pumps operation when the slats are extended. Once the engines are started, the pumps (which use fuel to cool themselves) send that cooling fuel back to their respective outer tank. If the outer tank is full, the fuel spills over into the inner tank. If the inner tank is full, the fuel has nowhere to go except overboard through the fuel vent system. In our case, the venting of fuel stopped when the tank was empty. That was what triggered the low pressure warning on center tank pump #1. Human factors: I had a head cold and was using cold medication to control my runny nose.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A320 FLC RETURN LAND WHEN PAX NOTES FLUID, LATER IDENTED AS FUEL, COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE R WING DURING DEP CLB NEAR PXR, AZ.
Narrative: CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT MSL, OUR FIRST FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT. SHE TOLD US THAT PAX ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT SAW SOME SORT OF FLUID STREAMING FROM THE BACK OF THE R WING. I SENT OUR JUMP SEATER (A COMPANY PLT) BACK TO LOOK AT THE WING AND RPT BACK WHAT HE SAW. HE CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A STEADY STREAM OF FLUID COMING FROM UNDER THE R WING. I HAD ALREADY CHKED THE ECAM FUEL AND HYD PAGES AND VERIFIED THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS COMING FROM THE R WING, I ELECTED TO TURN BACK TO PHX. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 16000 FT WHEN WE TURNED AROUND. DURING THE DSCNT, ECAM GAVE US A LOW PRESSURE WARNING ON CTR TANK PUMP #1. WHEN I REACHED UP TO SHUT OFF THE CTR TANK PUMPS, I SAW THAT THE CTR TANK MODE SELECTOR WAS IN THE MANUAL MODE. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO CREATE THIS SIT. HOWEVER, WE WERE NOW COMMITTED TO RETURNING TO PHX. I HAD ALREADY TOLD THE PAX THAT WE WERE RETURNING DUE TO AN UNKNOWN FLUID LEAKING FROM THE R WING. I HAD NO CONFIDENCE THAT I COULD CONVINCE THEM THAT WE HAD FIXED THE PROB AND WERE SAFE TO FLY TO PHL. THIS NECESSITATED LNDG OVERWT (ABOUT 9000 LBS OVER OUR MAX WT OF 142198 LBS). THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL (LESS THAN 200 FPM ON CONTACT) AND WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. NOW FOR SOME BACKGND INFO: DURING THE REFUELING PROCESS BEFORE PUSHBACK, WE GOT AN ECAM MESSAGE AND FUEL AUTO FEED FAULT AND INSTRUCTIONS, 'TURN ON CTR TANK PUMPS #1 AND #2.' THE MODE IS LEFT IN MANUAL. THIS HAPPENS ON A DAILY BASIS WHEN THE CTR TANK IS FILLED TO MORE THAN 550 LBS AND THE L OR R WING TANK HAS LESS THAN 11000 LBS OF FUEL. HOWEVER, WHEN THE FUELING WAS FINISHED, I FORGOT TO PUT THE MODE BACK INTO AUTO AS IS REQUIRED ANYTIME THE CTR TANK PUMPS ARE SELECTED ON FOR TKOF. THE AUTO MODE PREVENTS THE CTR TANK PUMPS OP WHEN THE SLATS ARE EXTENDED. ONCE THE ENGS ARE STARTED, THE PUMPS (WHICH USE FUEL TO COOL THEMSELVES) SEND THAT COOLING FUEL BACK TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OUTER TANK. IF THE OUTER TANK IS FULL, THE FUEL SPILLS OVER INTO THE INNER TANK. IF THE INNER TANK IS FULL, THE FUEL HAS NOWHERE TO GO EXCEPT OVERBOARD THROUGH THE FUEL VENT SYS. IN OUR CASE, THE VENTING OF FUEL STOPPED WHEN THE TANK WAS EMPTY. THAT WAS WHAT TRIGGERED THE LOW PRESSURE WARNING ON CTR TANK PUMP #1. HUMAN FACTORS: I HAD A HEAD COLD AND WAS USING COLD MEDICATION TO CTL MY RUNNY NOSE.
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.