Flight crew diverts due to fuel xfer difficulties.

Attributes
ACN	551138
Time
Date	200205
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 4
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 23 flight attendant time total : 23 flight attendant time type : 85
ASRS Report	551138
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I reported smell at 3L to pilots before takeoff. They checked it. Thought it was new smell from factory. We took off. In-flight fuel was not adjusting correctly from tanks so we made an unscheduled landing in chicago. Pilots would not take aircraft over water.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DIVERTS DUE TO FUEL XFER DIFFICULTIES.

Narrative: I RPTED SMELL AT 3L TO PLTS BEFORE TKOF. THEY CHKED IT. THOUGHT IT WAS NEW SMELL FROM FACTORY. WE TOOK OFF. INFLT FUEL WAS NOT ADJUSTING CORRECTLY FROM TANKS SO WE MADE AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG IN CHICAGO. PLTS WOULD NOT TAKE ACFT OVER WATER.

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.