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A B737 flight crew notes a drop in their fuel pressure and fuel flow on #1 engine in climb mandating a change to a lower altitude where the fuel flows read normally on flight to iad, va.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 536182 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200201 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zfw.artcc |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 34000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 1700 |
| ASRS Report | 536182 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : lo press ind other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Departing aus to iad, climbing through FL340, received master caution and fuel light. Noticed 2 low fuel flow lights on #1 engine. First officer pulled irregular checklist, which we started on. As I was still climbing to our clearance altitude of FL350, I requested FL330 to start down. About the same time I noticed #1 fuel flow start to drop back towards idle. We descended to FL330 with all lights off and indications normal. Reaching FL330 and a couple mins later, fuel flow lights came back on. All other parameters normal. Requested FL290. Reaching FL290, all indications normal. Called dispatch/maintenance coordination and advised them of situation. First officer and I discussed continuing on and we both felt ok with good WX all the way to iad. Dispatch maintenance concurred and maintenance said just keep an eye on the fuel filter and fuel flow indicator. Advised ATC of our new cruise altitude request. Called dispatch to advise of altitude change and for new flight plan and fuel burn. I elected in aus to add 1500 pounds fuel because of not going into iad for a long time. So we had plenty of fuel, good WX, and many good alternate airports en route with good WX. Flight was normal to iad, and uneventful (also had advised flight attendants on situation -- just for 'heads up').
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737 FLC NOTES A DROP IN THEIR FUEL PRESSURE AND FUEL FLOW ON #1 ENG IN CLB MANDATING A CHANGE TO A LOWER ALT WHERE THE FUEL FLOWS READ NORMALLY ON FLT TO IAD, VA.
Narrative: DEPARTING AUS TO IAD, CLBING THROUGH FL340, RECEIVED MASTER CAUTION AND FUEL LIGHT. NOTICED 2 LOW FUEL FLOW LIGHTS ON #1 ENG. FO PULLED IRREGULAR CHKLIST, WHICH WE STARTED ON. AS I WAS STILL CLBING TO OUR CLRNC ALT OF FL350, I REQUESTED FL330 TO START DOWN. ABOUT THE SAME TIME I NOTICED #1 FUEL FLOW START TO DROP BACK TOWARDS IDLE. WE DSNDED TO FL330 WITH ALL LIGHTS OFF AND INDICATIONS NORMAL. REACHING FL330 AND A COUPLE MINS LATER, FUEL FLOW LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. ALL OTHER PARAMETERS NORMAL. REQUESTED FL290. REACHING FL290, ALL INDICATIONS NORMAL. CALLED DISPATCH/MAINT COORD AND ADVISED THEM OF SIT. FO AND I DISCUSSED CONTINUING ON AND WE BOTH FELT OK WITH GOOD WX ALL THE WAY TO IAD. DISPATCH MAINT CONCURRED AND MAINT SAID JUST KEEP AN EYE ON THE FUEL FILTER AND FUEL FLOW INDICATOR. ADVISED ATC OF OUR NEW CRUISE ALT REQUEST. CALLED DISPATCH TO ADVISE OF ALT CHANGE AND FOR NEW FLT PLAN AND FUEL BURN. I ELECTED IN AUS TO ADD 1500 LBS FUEL BECAUSE OF NOT GOING INTO IAD FOR A LONG TIME. SO WE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL, GOOD WX, AND MANY GOOD ALTERNATE ARPTS ENRTE WITH GOOD WX. FLT WAS NORMAL TO IAD, AND UNEVENTFUL (ALSO HAD ADVISED FLT ATTENDANTS ON SIT -- JUST FOR 'HEADS UP').
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.