Narrative:

Upon reaching cruise altitude, accomplished briefing for mexico and specifically sjd. As this was my first time into sjd I wanted to thoroughly brief the procedures. Shortly after this ATC gave us a reroute, then lunch was served. It was then that I noticed that fuel was not decreasing from the center tank. Accomplished the abnormal procedures checklist, found the center tank fuel pump circuit breakers popped. After checklist complete we were able to retrieve fuel from the center tank. I elected to divert to san, the nearest united states airport, rather than press on to sjd. I felt diverting was the safest course due to the lack of good alternates in baja if the one good pump should fail next. Declared emergency. Landed in san without incident. Fuel on arrival in san 22400 pounds. Fuel in each wing tank 5000 pounds. In hindsight I should have noticed the fuel problem sooner but was intent on reviewing the arrival with first officer who had been to sjd several times before. Supplemental information from acn 583374: a fuel tabulation was taken at mzb and appeared normal. Shortly after passing mzb (near san) we were issued a reroute. It took several mins to clean up the gfms. Sine the captain had not been to sjd before, and I had not been in several months, we began a thorough brief of our operation. Approximately 20 mins later we were satisfied with our plan, and the #1 flight attendant served our crew meal. Prior to eating, a fuel check was taken, and at this time we realized we had stopped getting fuel from the center tank. There was approximately 6000 pounds in each wing and 16000 pounds in the center tank. While it is acceptable to continue under these conditions, the decision was made to return to san. It was determined that due to lack of alternate airports on this route, lack of maintenance in sjd, and few options if the situation deteriorated, a return to san was the most prudent course of action. We should have noticed the situation sooner. However, the distractions of the reroute and the extensive briefing for the route and arrival distracted us just long enough to get behind the operation of the airplane. I think we would have continued to destination if we were not operating in a remote area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TURN BACK AND DIVERSION TO SAN ARPT BY AN MD80 FLT CREW WHEN 1 CTR TANK BOOST PUMP FAILS 114 NM SE OF SQN VOR WHILE ENRTE TO MMSD, FO.

Narrative: UPON REACHING CRUISE ALT, ACCOMPLISHED BRIEFING FOR MEXICO AND SPECIFICALLY SJD. AS THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME INTO SJD I WANTED TO THOROUGHLY BRIEF THE PROCS. SHORTLY AFTER THIS ATC GAVE US A REROUTE, THEN LUNCH WAS SERVED. IT WAS THEN THAT I NOTICED THAT FUEL WAS NOT DECREASING FROM THE CTR TANK. ACCOMPLISHED THE ABNORMAL PROCS CHKLIST, FOUND THE CTR TANK FUEL PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED. AFTER CHKLIST COMPLETE WE WERE ABLE TO RETRIEVE FUEL FROM THE CTR TANK. I ELECTED TO DIVERT TO SAN, THE NEAREST UNITED STATES ARPT, RATHER THAN PRESS ON TO SJD. I FELT DIVERTING WAS THE SAFEST COURSE DUE TO THE LACK OF GOOD ALTERNATES IN BAJA IF THE ONE GOOD PUMP SHOULD FAIL NEXT. DECLARED EMER. LANDED IN SAN WITHOUT INCIDENT. FUEL ON ARR IN SAN 22400 LBS. FUEL IN EACH WING TANK 5000 LBS. IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THE FUEL PROB SOONER BUT WAS INTENT ON REVIEWING THE ARR WITH FO WHO HAD BEEN TO SJD SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 583374: A FUEL TABULATION WAS TAKEN AT MZB AND APPEARED NORMAL. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING MZB (NEAR SAN) WE WERE ISSUED A REROUTE. IT TOOK SEVERAL MINS TO CLEAN UP THE GFMS. SINE THE CAPT HAD NOT BEEN TO SJD BEFORE, AND I HAD NOT BEEN IN SEVERAL MONTHS, WE BEGAN A THOROUGH BRIEF OF OUR OP. APPROX 20 MINS LATER WE WERE SATISFIED WITH OUR PLAN, AND THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT SERVED OUR CREW MEAL. PRIOR TO EATING, A FUEL CHK WAS TAKEN, AND AT THIS TIME WE REALIZED WE HAD STOPPED GETTING FUEL FROM THE CTR TANK. THERE WAS APPROX 6000 LBS IN EACH WING AND 16000 LBS IN THE CTR TANK. WHILE IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO CONTINUE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO SAN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT DUE TO LACK OF ALTERNATE ARPTS ON THIS RTE, LACK OF MAINT IN SJD, AND FEW OPTIONS IF THE SIT DETERIORATED, A RETURN TO SAN WAS THE MOST PRUDENT COURSE OF ACTION. WE SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THE SIT SOONER. HOWEVER, THE DISTRACTIONS OF THE REROUTE AND THE EXTENSIVE BRIEFING FOR THE RTE AND ARR DISTRACTED US JUST LONG ENOUGH TO GET BEHIND THE OP OF THE AIRPLANE. I THINK WE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO DEST IF WE WERE NOT OPERATING IN A REMOTE AREA.

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.