Narrative:

We were in line for takeoff from phx to cmh. The aircraft behind us reported that we had fuel pouring out the vent on our right wing. We notified ground control of the problem and contacted company. We also asked that the fire equipment stand by as a precaution. When we were notified of the problem, we immediately shut down the right engine and fuel pumps in the right wing. Maintenance came out to the aircraft and did an exterior inspection of the aircraft and reported no more fuel departing the aircraft. We received clearance from ground and returned to the gate. There was an MEL on the aircraft that required that the center tank fuel pumps be turned off during cockpit setup, and turned on after slat retraction (airborne). We had failed to do this for reasons noted next: although the MEL was briefed on the first leg of the day, the trip consisted of 3 legs that day. The first 2 legs did not require fuel in the center tank and wing tanks were not full, so center tank pumps were not turned on. By the third leg, the MEL was not at the forefront of thought. The maintenance personnel were supposed to have installed a sticker on the center pump control switch. This sticker was missing. The outside air temperature was 107 degrees and the aircraft was parked at the gate facing west prior to departure. With the best efforts of both ground and onboard air conditioning, the flight deck temperature was indicating 100 degrees F. Affecting pilot performance, the pilots were also in the circadian low, and had not eaten since breakfast. Plus there were multiple mels on the aircraft. Keeping them straight was also causal. Conclusion: a lot of mistakes were made by several parties. Fortunately, there was no accident. Lesson learned: my policy will now be to brief each MEL prior to each leg thus keeping the aircraft condition forefront prior to departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC FAILED TO FOLLOW THE PREFLT MEL BRIEFING RESULTING IN FUEL VENTING EXCESSIVELY ON THE TXWY FROM THE R WING VENT DURING TAXI OUT.

Narrative: WE WERE IN LINE FOR TKOF FROM PHX TO CMH. THE ACFT BEHIND US RPTED THAT WE HAD FUEL POURING OUT THE VENT ON OUR R WING. WE NOTIFIED GND CTL OF THE PROB AND CONTACTED COMPANY. WE ALSO ASKED THAT THE FIRE EQUIP STAND BY AS A PRECAUTION. WHEN WE WERE NOTIFIED OF THE PROB, WE IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE R ENG AND FUEL PUMPS IN THE R WING. MAINT CAME OUT TO THE ACFT AND DID AN EXTERIOR INSPECTION OF THE ACFT AND RPTED NO MORE FUEL DEPARTING THE ACFT. WE RECEIVED CLRNC FROM GND AND RETURNED TO THE GATE. THERE WAS AN MEL ON THE ACFT THAT REQUIRED THAT THE CTR TANK FUEL PUMPS BE TURNED OFF DURING COCKPIT SETUP, AND TURNED ON AFTER SLAT RETRACTION (AIRBORNE). WE HAD FAILED TO DO THIS FOR REASONS NOTED NEXT: ALTHOUGH THE MEL WAS BRIEFED ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE DAY, THE TRIP CONSISTED OF 3 LEGS THAT DAY. THE FIRST 2 LEGS DID NOT REQUIRE FUEL IN THE CTR TANK AND WING TANKS WERE NOT FULL, SO CTR TANK PUMPS WERE NOT TURNED ON. BY THE THIRD LEG, THE MEL WAS NOT AT THE FOREFRONT OF THOUGHT. THE MAINT PERSONNEL WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE INSTALLED A STICKER ON THE CTR PUMP CTL SWITCH. THIS STICKER WAS MISSING. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS 107 DEGS AND THE ACFT WAS PARKED AT THE GATE FACING W PRIOR TO DEP. WITH THE BEST EFFORTS OF BOTH GND AND ONBOARD AIR CONDITIONING, THE FLT DECK TEMP WAS INDICATING 100 DEGS F. AFFECTING PLT PERFORMANCE, THE PLTS WERE ALSO IN THE CIRCADIAN LOW, AND HAD NOT EATEN SINCE BREAKFAST. PLUS THERE WERE MULTIPLE MELS ON THE ACFT. KEEPING THEM STRAIGHT WAS ALSO CAUSAL. CONCLUSION: A LOT OF MISTAKES WERE MADE BY SEVERAL PARTIES. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. LESSON LEARNED: MY POLICY WILL NOW BE TO BRIEF EACH MEL PRIOR TO EACH LEG THUS KEEPING THE ACFT CONDITION FOREFRONT PRIOR TO DEP.

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.