Narrative:

Flight departed jfk on schedule, but delayed for takeoff due to deicing. Fuel at start of takeoff approximately 360000 pounds, with 20.8 in horizontal stabilizer tank, and 94.4 in center wing tank. Right stabilizer pump switch on, left stabilizer pump switch off, as per B747-400 operating bulletin. When center wing tank fuel reached approximately 80.4, 'fuel pump stabilizer right' message illuminated on EICAS with similar status message. Pump indication on fuel synoptic changed from blue to yellow. Right horizontal stabilizer tank pump turned off at this time in accordance with operating bulletin. Shortly thereafter, EICAS message 'fuel stabilizer xfer' illuminated. Then initiated 'fuel stabilizer xfer' checklist. Noteworthy in this checklist is the first step which says, 'check stabilizer tank pump switches on.' this statement conflicts with operating bulletin which does not permit use of the left stabilizer pump and, in this case, required us to turn off the right stabilizer pump due to the 'fuel pump stabilizer right' message. Also noteworthy is that this procedure reconfigures aircraft fuel system to the tank-to-engine burn sequence. Our gross weight was 845000 pounds. The procedure emphasizes, to land before main tank #2 or #3 is empty to maintain center of gravity within limits. However, another concern is that main tanks #1 and #4 may contain less fuel than #2 and #3. Hence, main tanks #1 and #4 will empty before #2 and #3, requiring fuel burn reconfign. After cockpit operations manual procedure completed, dispatch and maintenance control notified. Considerable difficulty occurred using VHF 131.45 and 126.7, so we established phone patch on HF. During conference with dispatch, maintenance control and captain Y, captain X requested use of the left horizontal stabilizer tank xfer pump despite operating bulletin, item 2. Captain concurred that we could use the left pump and indicated that the operating bulletin instructions would be changed to reflect. We tried the left horizontal stabilizer tank xfer pump, but it also appeared inoperative. Captain Y then suggested that the problem may be circuit breakers for the left and right horizontal stabilizer tank xfer pumps located in the flight attendant crew rest area may be open. It was agreed that even if they were open, they could not be reset, so that issue was dismissed. Thereafter, in accordance with the overweight landing checklist, an emergency was declared and a diversion to dtw initiated. At XA15Z and approaching dtw, dispatch requested to have someone check those xfer pump circuit breakers and, if open and collared, to remove the right horizontal stabilizer tank xfer pump circuit breaker collar and reset that circuit breaker. Both horizontal stabilizer tank xfer pump circuit breakers were found open and collared. We reset the right pump circuit breaker and the horizontal stabilizer tank fuel began a normal (1 pump) xfer. This was accomplished in holding at spica, 12000 ft. At this time, the emergency was canceled and a diversion to anc was coordination with dispatch and ATC. This was to avoid an overweight landing or fuel dumping in dtw and provide a refueling point en route to nrt. To land within maximum gross weight limits at anc, we coordination with dispatch and zan to dump 3000 pounds of fuel at FL310 approximately 80 mi prior to yeska.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 CREW FOUND THEY WERE UNABLE TO USE FUEL FROM THE STABILIZER TANKS BECAUSE MAINT HAD PULLED AND COLLARED THE FUEL BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKERS.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED JFK ON SCHEDULE, BUT DELAYED FOR TKOF DUE TO DEICING. FUEL AT START OF TKOF APPROX 360000 LBS, WITH 20.8 IN HORIZ STABILIZER TANK, AND 94.4 IN CTR WING TANK. R STABILIZER PUMP SWITCH ON, L STABILIZER PUMP SWITCH OFF, AS PER B747-400 OPERATING BULLETIN. WHEN CTR WING TANK FUEL REACHED APPROX 80.4, 'FUEL PUMP STABILIZER R' MESSAGE ILLUMINATED ON EICAS WITH SIMILAR STATUS MESSAGE. PUMP INDICATION ON FUEL SYNOPTIC CHANGED FROM BLUE TO YELLOW. R HORIZ STABILIZER TANK PUMP TURNED OFF AT THIS TIME IN ACCORDANCE WITH OPERATING BULLETIN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, EICAS MESSAGE 'FUEL STABILIZER XFER' ILLUMINATED. THEN INITIATED 'FUEL STABILIZER XFER' CHKLIST. NOTEWORTHY IN THIS CHKLIST IS THE FIRST STEP WHICH SAYS, 'CHK STABILIZER TANK PUMP SWITCHES ON.' THIS STATEMENT CONFLICTS WITH OPERATING BULLETIN WHICH DOES NOT PERMIT USE OF THE L STABILIZER PUMP AND, IN THIS CASE, REQUIRED US TO TURN OFF THE R STABILIZER PUMP DUE TO THE 'FUEL PUMP STABILIZER R' MESSAGE. ALSO NOTEWORTHY IS THAT THIS PROC RECONFIGURES ACFT FUEL SYS TO THE TANK-TO-ENG BURN SEQUENCE. OUR GROSS WT WAS 845000 LBS. THE PROC EMPHASIZES, TO LAND BEFORE MAIN TANK #2 OR #3 IS EMPTY TO MAINTAIN CTR OF GRAVITY WITHIN LIMITS. HOWEVER, ANOTHER CONCERN IS THAT MAIN TANKS #1 AND #4 MAY CONTAIN LESS FUEL THAN #2 AND #3. HENCE, MAIN TANKS #1 AND #4 WILL EMPTY BEFORE #2 AND #3, REQUIRING FUEL BURN RECONFIGN. AFTER COCKPIT OPS MANUAL PROC COMPLETED, DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL NOTIFIED. CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY OCCURRED USING VHF 131.45 AND 126.7, SO WE ESTABLISHED PHONE PATCH ON HF. DURING CONFERENCE WITH DISPATCH, MAINT CTL AND CAPT Y, CAPT X REQUESTED USE OF THE L HORIZ STABILIZER TANK XFER PUMP DESPITE OPERATING BULLETIN, ITEM 2. CAPT CONCURRED THAT WE COULD USE THE L PUMP AND INDICATED THAT THE OPERATING BULLETIN INSTRUCTIONS WOULD BE CHANGED TO REFLECT. WE TRIED THE L HORIZ STABILIZER TANK XFER PUMP, BUT IT ALSO APPEARED INOP. CAPT Y THEN SUGGESTED THAT THE PROB MAY BE CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR THE L AND R HORIZ STABILIZER TANK XFER PUMPS LOCATED IN THE FLT ATTENDANT CREW REST AREA MAY BE OPEN. IT WAS AGREED THAT EVEN IF THEY WERE OPEN, THEY COULD NOT BE RESET, SO THAT ISSUE WAS DISMISSED. THEREAFTER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OVERWT LNDG CHKLIST, AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND A DIVERSION TO DTW INITIATED. AT XA15Z AND APCHING DTW, DISPATCH REQUESTED TO HAVE SOMEONE CHK THOSE XFER PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND, IF OPEN AND COLLARED, TO REMOVE THE R HORIZ STABILIZER TANK XFER PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER COLLAR AND RESET THAT CIRCUIT BREAKER. BOTH HORIZ STABILIZER TANK XFER PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE FOUND OPEN AND COLLARED. WE RESET THE R PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER AND THE HORIZ STABILIZER TANK FUEL BEGAN A NORMAL (1 PUMP) XFER. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN HOLDING AT SPICA, 12000 FT. AT THIS TIME, THE EMER WAS CANCELED AND A DIVERSION TO ANC WAS COORD WITH DISPATCH AND ATC. THIS WAS TO AVOID AN OVERWT LNDG OR FUEL DUMPING IN DTW AND PROVIDE A REFUELING POINT ENRTE TO NRT. TO LAND WITHIN MAX GROSS WT LIMITS AT ANC, WE COORD WITH DISPATCH AND ZAN TO DUMP 3000 LBS OF FUEL AT FL310 APPROX 80 MI PRIOR TO YESKA.

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.