<< >> NASA ASRS Report 571386, January 2003

A B737-800 was operated inadvertently in non compliance of airworthiness directive 2002-19-52 by using center tank fuel to 500 pounds.

Attributes
ACN	571386
Time
Date	200301
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 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	571386
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	571379
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : center tank fuel quantity other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

For the B737, currently we have an airworthiness directive specifying fuel in the center tank remain at 1000 pounds or greater. Without an electronic warning, we need to keep the center fuel gauge in our scan. We got distraction by something else, and by the time we caught it, the fuel level dropped to 500-600 pounds. The reading is approximately due to sloshing, I assume, but it was definitely less than 1000 pounds. The purpose of the airworthiness directive is to make sure the fuel pumps remain submerged. Even with 500 pounds, I assumed the pumps remained submerged, so there was a no threat to safety.

Related reports:

• Transponder is inadvertently not returned back on after plac...
• A B737-700 in climb with center tank pumps on inadvertently ...
• Flight crew air carrier medium large transport aircraft inad...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 WAS OPERATED INADVERTENTLY IN NON COMPLIANCE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 2002-19-52 BY USING CTR TANK FUEL TO 500 LBS.

Narrative: FOR THE B737, CURRENTLY WE HAVE AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE SPECIFYING FUEL IN THE CTR TANK REMAIN AT 1000 LBS OR GREATER. WITHOUT AN ELECTRONIC WARNING, WE NEED TO KEEP THE CTR FUEL GAUGE IN OUR SCAN. WE GOT DISTR BY SOMETHING ELSE, AND BY THE TIME WE CAUGHT IT, THE FUEL LEVEL DROPPED TO 500-600 LBS. THE READING IS APPROX DUE TO SLOSHING, I ASSUME, BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY LESS THAN 1000 LBS. THE PURPOSE OF THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE IS TO MAKE SURE THE FUEL PUMPS REMAIN SUBMERGED. EVEN WITH 500 LBS, I ASSUMED THE PUMPS REMAINED SUBMERGED, SO THERE WAS A NO THREAT TO SAFETY.

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.