Narrative:

Normal push and second engine start, center tank pump 1 low pressure ECAM. ECAM complete. Called maintenance ctrl for deferral. Received MEL and configured for it. Procedure called for inoperative pump to be off and xfeed to be open with center tank fuel. At this time, there was approximately 200 pounds in center tank, so we left the xfeed valve open. MEL and ECAM in flight manual indicate once center tank empty and fuel balanced, close the xfeed valve. The intent was to close the xfeed once airborne and remaining fuel in center tank gone. Upon first leveloff at 9000 ft, an imbal of approximately 3000 pounds was noticed. It appeared that fuel was burning from the right wing only, feeding both engines. Additionally, fuel was xferring to the left wing. At this point, the captain took the aircraft and I attempted the manual fuel balance procedure. This was not appearing to be successful and the captain made a timely decision to return to pdx, since the fuel imbal was reaching aircraft limitations. Landing was uneventful, and taxi to the gate to deplane and subsequently debrief maintenance on the problem. Manual procedure calls for xfeed open and low side pumps to be off. This was unsuccessful, so we elected to turn the right side pumps back on to ensure positive fuel pressure to the engines. On the ground at shutdown, there was 1000 pounds more fuel in the left wing than at blockout, indicating that fuel was xferring to the left wing and all fuel used was from the right. Supplemental information from acn 548594: other factors: high density traffic on departure. 3 aircraft in proximity to call in sight including F15 flight of 2 crossing paths with 1000 ft separation. Same concerns for arrival, therefore, no exact fuel reading available from PF. PNF very busy with checklists, traffic lookout and procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW HAD UNCTLED FUEL XFER AFTER COMPLYING WITH AN INOP FUEL PUMP MEL PROC AT PDX.

Narrative: NORMAL PUSH AND SECOND ENG START, CTR TANK PUMP 1 LOW PRESSURE ECAM. ECAM COMPLETE. CALLED MAINT CTRL FOR DEFERRAL. RECEIVED MEL AND CONFIGURED FOR IT. PROC CALLED FOR INOP PUMP TO BE OFF AND XFEED TO BE OPEN WITH CTR TANK FUEL. AT THIS TIME, THERE WAS APPROX 200 LBS IN CTR TANK, SO WE LEFT THE XFEED VALVE OPEN. MEL AND ECAM IN FLT MANUAL INDICATE ONCE CTR TANK EMPTY AND FUEL BALANCED, CLOSE THE XFEED VALVE. THE INTENT WAS TO CLOSE THE XFEED ONCE AIRBORNE AND REMAINING FUEL IN CTR TANK GONE. UPON FIRST LEVELOFF AT 9000 FT, AN IMBAL OF APPROX 3000 LBS WAS NOTICED. IT APPEARED THAT FUEL WAS BURNING FROM THE R WING ONLY, FEEDING BOTH ENGS. ADDITIONALLY, FUEL WAS XFERRING TO THE L WING. AT THIS POINT, THE CAPT TOOK THE ACFT AND I ATTEMPTED THE MANUAL FUEL BAL PROC. THIS WAS NOT APPEARING TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND THE CAPT MADE A TIMELY DECISION TO RETURN TO PDX, SINCE THE FUEL IMBAL WAS REACHING ACFT LIMITATIONS. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND TAXI TO THE GATE TO DEPLANE AND SUBSEQUENTLY DEBRIEF MAINT ON THE PROB. MANUAL PROC CALLS FOR XFEED OPEN AND LOW SIDE PUMPS TO BE OFF. THIS WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, SO WE ELECTED TO TURN THE R SIDE PUMPS BACK ON TO ENSURE POSITIVE FUEL PRESSURE TO THE ENGS. ON THE GND AT SHUTDOWN, THERE WAS 1000 LBS MORE FUEL IN THE L WING THAN AT BLOCKOUT, INDICATING THAT FUEL WAS XFERRING TO THE L WING AND ALL FUEL USED WAS FROM THE R. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 548594: OTHER FACTORS: HIGH DENSITY TFC ON DEP. 3 ACFT IN PROX TO CALL IN SIGHT INCLUDING F15 FLT OF 2 XING PATHS WITH 1000 FT SEPARATION. SAME CONCERNS FOR ARR, THEREFORE, NO EXACT FUEL READING AVAILABLE FROM PF. PNF VERY BUSY WITH CHKLISTS, TFC LOOKOUT AND PROCS.

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.