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A fuel asymmetry indication and an unknown fuel quantity leads to a declaration of an emergency and precautionary landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 558386 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200208 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : dfw.tower tower : luk.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Fokker 100 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 558386 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity ind other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Fuel readings faulty in aircraft. I declared an emergency due to a fuel reading of 2500 pounds in the left tank and 800 pounds in the right tank. We were on the downwind to runway 17C when the MFDU indicated a fuel asymmetry problem. The fuel in the right tank kept decreasing until I saw 450 pounds in the tank on final to runway 17C. I thought we must be leaking fuel severely from somewhere and tried using xfeed to keep the engine running. I really expected it to flameout at any time. We flew a single engine type approach which is a normal approach with flaps 25 degrees. On touchdown and rollout the fuel indications returned to 2500 pounds in each tank. Maintenance determined that we were receiving improper indications due to water in the tank. My first officer did an outstanding job flying the approach which gave me time to troubleshoot the problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A FUEL ASYMMETRY INDICATION AND AN UNKNOWN FUEL QUANTITY LEADS TO A DECLARATION OF AN EMER AND PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.
Narrative: FUEL READINGS FAULTY IN ACFT. I DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO A FUEL READING OF 2500 LBS IN THE L TANK AND 800 LBS IN THE R TANK. WE WERE ON THE DOWNWIND TO RWY 17C WHEN THE MFDU INDICATED A FUEL ASYMMETRY PROB. THE FUEL IN THE R TANK KEPT DECREASING UNTIL I SAW 450 LBS IN THE TANK ON FINAL TO RWY 17C. I THOUGHT WE MUST BE LEAKING FUEL SEVERELY FROM SOMEWHERE AND TRIED USING XFEED TO KEEP THE ENG RUNNING. I REALLY EXPECTED IT TO FLAMEOUT AT ANY TIME. WE FLEW A SINGLE ENG TYPE APCH WHICH IS A NORMAL APCH WITH FLAPS 25 DEGS. ON TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT THE FUEL INDICATIONS RETURNED TO 2500 LBS IN EACH TANK. MAINT DETERMINED THAT WE WERE RECEIVING IMPROPER INDICATIONS DUE TO WATER IN THE TANK. MY FO DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB FLYING THE APCH WHICH GAVE ME TIME TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB.
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.