B767 crew had uncontrolled fuel xfer from the right tank into the center tank.

Attributes
ACN	550235
Time
Date	200206
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	CO
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	550235
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity indicators other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : overcame equipment problem none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Fuel xfer right to center. Departed lax with approximately 87 pounds fuel loaded -- 40 right and 40 left with 7 center. Secured center with 1.5 and went tank to engine. Next chkpoint noted fuel load 32.5 left, 12.5 right, and 21 center. Totalizer and calculated fuels were equal. Turned center on and burned down to approximately 3 then xfed left to right till balanced. Entered into logbook. Signoff was 'no defect.' elected to continue flight to land balanced instead of 20 pounds out of balance. Unable to ascertain how this could have happened with no mechanic problem. First officer and I have reviewed our actions and have been unable to come up with a deviation from standard. This could have been interesting over water and missing a fuel check. Right engine would have shut down due to fuel starvation with tons of fuel on board.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW HAD UNCTLED FUEL XFER FROM THE R TANK INTO THE CTR TANK.

Narrative: FUEL XFER R TO CTR. DEPARTED LAX WITH APPROX 87 LBS FUEL LOADED -- 40 R AND 40 L WITH 7 CTR. SECURED CTR WITH 1.5 AND WENT TANK TO ENG. NEXT CHKPOINT NOTED FUEL LOAD 32.5 L, 12.5 R, AND 21 CTR. TOTALIZER AND CALCULATED FUELS WERE EQUAL. TURNED CTR ON AND BURNED DOWN TO APPROX 3 THEN XFED L TO R TILL BALANCED. ENTERED INTO LOGBOOK. SIGNOFF WAS 'NO DEFECT.' ELECTED TO CONTINUE FLT TO LAND BALANCED INSTEAD OF 20 LBS OUT OF BAL. UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH NO MECH PROB. FO AND I HAVE REVIEWED OUR ACTIONS AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO COME UP WITH A DEV FROM STANDARD. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTING OVER WATER AND MISSING A FUEL CHK. R ENG WOULD HAVE SHUT DOWN DUE TO FUEL STARVATION WITH TONS OF FUEL ON BOARD.

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.