Fuel imbal in a B767 caused by an open xfeed valve that was not discovered until low fuel warning wa...

Attributes
ACN	588221
Time
Date	200307
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	588221
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas warning other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flying first flight of the day from lga to atl on aircraft that we had brought in the night before. Sometime during the night, someone had opened the fuel xfeed and didn't reclose it. During daytime operations, the fuel panel can be difficult to read from either pilot position due to glare off the plastic covers. At night, everything is backlit and is easier to read. I missed the fact that the xfeed was open during the before start checklist. We had about 2600 pounds of fuel in the center tank which is considered unusable, so the center tank boost pumps were off. In this confign, a 'fuel confign' EICAS message is displayed continuously, masking any fuel imbal. After a long, much delayed taxi out from lga and climb to cruise, I checked the balance on the fuel indicators. However, by this time, we were 10000 pounds out of balance and due to the aforementioned, daytime glare on the fuel panel, I read it as balanced ie, 16.5/16.7 versus 16.5/6.7. Our first clue that something was wrong was when the 'low fuel' EICAS message was displayed when the right tank reached 2500 pounds. This was at top of descent, so we accomplished the 'low fuel' checklist and landed normally at atl.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL IMBAL IN A B767 CAUSED BY AN OPEN XFEED VALVE THAT WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL LOW FUEL WARNING WAS DISPLAYED.

Narrative: FLYING FIRST FLT OF THE DAY FROM LGA TO ATL ON ACFT THAT WE HAD BROUGHT IN THE NIGHT BEFORE. SOMETIME DURING THE NIGHT, SOMEONE HAD OPENED THE FUEL XFEED AND DIDN'T RECLOSE IT. DURING DAYTIME OPS, THE FUEL PANEL CAN BE DIFFICULT TO READ FROM EITHER PLT POS DUE TO GLARE OFF THE PLASTIC COVERS. AT NIGHT, EVERYTHING IS BACKLIT AND IS EASIER TO READ. I MISSED THE FACT THAT THE XFEED WAS OPEN DURING THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. WE HAD ABOUT 2600 LBS OF FUEL IN THE CTR TANK WHICH IS CONSIDERED UNUSABLE, SO THE CTR TANK BOOST PUMPS WERE OFF. IN THIS CONFIGN, A 'FUEL CONFIGN' EICAS MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED CONTINUOUSLY, MASKING ANY FUEL IMBAL. AFTER A LONG, MUCH DELAYED TAXI OUT FROM LGA AND CLB TO CRUISE, I CHKED THE BAL ON THE FUEL INDICATORS. HOWEVER, BY THIS TIME, WE WERE 10000 LBS OUT OF BAL AND DUE TO THE AFOREMENTIONED, DAYTIME GLARE ON THE FUEL PANEL, I READ IT AS BALANCED IE, 16.5/16.7 VERSUS 16.5/6.7. OUR FIRST CLUE THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WAS WHEN THE 'LOW FUEL' EICAS MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED WHEN THE R TANK REACHED 2500 LBS. THIS WAS AT TOP OF DSCNT, SO WE ACCOMPLISHED THE 'LOW FUEL' CHKLIST AND LANDED NORMALLY AT ATL.

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.

Fuel imbal in a B767 caused by an open xfeed valve that was not discovered until low fuel warning was displayed.