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A B767-300 in cruise at FL350 has crew distraction by flight attendant's report and inadvertently allows center tank fuel ballast to be used.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 509060 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200104 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bird.artcc |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 35000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : bird.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767-300 and 300 ER |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level cruise : level |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 509060 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 509061 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cr tank fuel quantity |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Cabin Crew Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Approximately 3.5 hours into flight, the center tank ballast fuel was used inadvertently because the center tank pumps were not turned off with 1000 pounds remaining. This happened because some cabin malfunctions were brought to the first officer and relief pilot attention while I was on my break and they tried to troubleshoot the problem. This distraction them from turning off the pumps in a timely manner. The fact that this was an FAA airworthiness directive and that someone must monitor the aircraft constantly was thoroughly debriefed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B767-300 IN CRUISE AT FL350 HAS CREW DISTR BY FLT ATTENDANT'S RPT AND INADVERTENTLY ALLOWS CTR TANK FUEL BALLAST TO BE USED.
Narrative: APPROX 3.5 HRS INTO FLT, THE CTR TANK BALLAST FUEL WAS USED INADVERTENTLY BECAUSE THE CTR TANK PUMPS WERE NOT TURNED OFF WITH 1000 LBS REMAINING. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE SOME CABIN MALFUNCTIONS WERE BROUGHT TO THE FO AND RELIEF PLT ATTN WHILE I WAS ON MY BREAK AND THEY TRIED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB. THIS DISTR THEM FROM TURNING OFF THE PUMPS IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE FACT THAT THIS WAS AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE AND THAT SOMEONE MUST MONITOR THE ACFT CONSTANTLY WAS THOROUGHLY DEBRIEFED.
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.