Narrative:

We arrived in dfw. First officer performed postflt inspection, found no discrepancies. We left aircraft to get food. On return to aircraft, first officer performed preflight inspection. Found no discrepancies. The fueler did not arrive to fuel us until near departure time. There was some confusion, as the fueler told the first officer that he had put fuel into the center tank, and had to 'drain it.' this makes no sense, as we can have up to 500 pounds of fuel in the center tank without full main tanks. Also, the only way to 'drain' fuel is to pressure de-fuel through the pressure fueling system, which removes fuel from the entire system. After telling the fueler not to worry about fuel in the center tank, the first officer checked to see that the pressure refueling system was secured for flight, and reported to me that it was. Our preflight procedures only require the checking of the fueling system actually used. After takeoff, tower reported that we seemed to be trailing something. The aircraft behind us reported that he had a strong raw fuel smell and an oily substance on his windscreen. I immediately leveled off at 3000 ft and turned a right downwind for the nearest runway. I declared an emergency, as the first officer advised the flight attendant of our return. I asked the tower for the localizer frequency. He didn't know, but a locally based crew did, and gave it to me. We landed smoothly and uneventfully. I elected not to use reverse thrust, for fear of blowing trailing fuel forward where it could possibly ignite. I cleared the runway, set the brake, and had the first officer shut down all engines. Crash fire rescue equipment advised that there was no fuel leaking, so we kept the passenger seated, as I went out to speak with the crash fire rescue equipment crew and inspect the aircraft to ascertain if any structural damage would prevent us from taxiing to the gate, and if a fire hazard required the evacuate/evacuation of the aircraft. It was on inspection of the right wing that I found the fuel cap off, trailing by its lanyard. The cap was secured, the aircraft started, and we returned to the gate. An inspection by maintenance found no damage to the wing by the cap, and the flight departed uneventfully 1 1/2 hours later. The next day, as we passed through dfw again, the same fueler failed to secure the pressure fueling panel door completely. It was caught on walkaround, and secured by me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 RETURNED TO DEP STATION WITH FUEL TRAILING FROM A TANK WITH A TANK CAP LEFT OFF BY THE FUELER.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED IN DFW. FO PERFORMED POSTFLT INSPECTION, FOUND NO DISCREPANCIES. WE LEFT ACFT TO GET FOOD. ON RETURN TO ACFT, FO PERFORMED PREFLT INSPECTION. FOUND NO DISCREPANCIES. THE FUELER DID NOT ARRIVE TO FUEL US UNTIL NEAR DEP TIME. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION, AS THE FUELER TOLD THE FO THAT HE HAD PUT FUEL INTO THE CTR TANK, AND HAD TO 'DRAIN IT.' THIS MAKES NO SENSE, AS WE CAN HAVE UP TO 500 LBS OF FUEL IN THE CTR TANK WITHOUT FULL MAIN TANKS. ALSO, THE ONLY WAY TO 'DRAIN' FUEL IS TO PRESSURE DE-FUEL THROUGH THE PRESSURE FUELING SYS, WHICH REMOVES FUEL FROM THE ENTIRE SYS. AFTER TELLING THE FUELER NOT TO WORRY ABOUT FUEL IN THE CTR TANK, THE FO CHKED TO SEE THAT THE PRESSURE REFUELING SYS WAS SECURED FOR FLT, AND RPTED TO ME THAT IT WAS. OUR PREFLT PROCS ONLY REQUIRE THE CHKING OF THE FUELING SYS ACTUALLY USED. AFTER TKOF, TWR RPTED THAT WE SEEMED TO BE TRAILING SOMETHING. THE ACFT BEHIND US RPTED THAT HE HAD A STRONG RAW FUEL SMELL AND AN OILY SUBSTANCE ON HIS WINDSCREEN. I IMMEDIATELY LEVELED OFF AT 3000 FT AND TURNED A R DOWNWIND FOR THE NEAREST RWY. I DECLARED AN EMER, AS THE FO ADVISED THE FLT ATTENDANT OF OUR RETURN. I ASKED THE TWR FOR THE LOC FREQ. HE DIDN'T KNOW, BUT A LOCALLY BASED CREW DID, AND GAVE IT TO ME. WE LANDED SMOOTHLY AND UNEVENTFULLY. I ELECTED NOT TO USE REVERSE THRUST, FOR FEAR OF BLOWING TRAILING FUEL FORWARD WHERE IT COULD POSSIBLY IGNITE. I CLRED THE RWY, SET THE BRAKE, AND HAD THE FO SHUT DOWN ALL ENGS. CFR ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL LEAKING, SO WE KEPT THE PAX SEATED, AS I WENT OUT TO SPEAK WITH THE CFR CREW AND INSPECT THE ACFT TO ASCERTAIN IF ANY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WOULD PREVENT US FROM TAXIING TO THE GATE, AND IF A FIRE HAZARD REQUIRED THE EVAC OF THE ACFT. IT WAS ON INSPECTION OF THE R WING THAT I FOUND THE FUEL CAP OFF, TRAILING BY ITS LANYARD. THE CAP WAS SECURED, THE ACFT STARTED, AND WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. AN INSPECTION BY MAINT FOUND NO DAMAGE TO THE WING BY THE CAP, AND THE FLT DEPARTED UNEVENTFULLY 1 1/2 HRS LATER. THE NEXT DAY, AS WE PASSED THROUGH DFW AGAIN, THE SAME FUELER FAILED TO SECURE THE PRESSURE FUELING PANEL DOOR COMPLETELY. IT WAS CAUGHT ON WALKAROUND, AND SECURED BY 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.