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An airbus 300 in cruise at FL330 declared an emergency and diverted due to multiple ECAM warnings for the automatic fuel feed system and left tank indication decreasing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 604687 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200401 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc tower : zzzz.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level descent : approach landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine |
| ASRS Report | 604687 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : relief pilot |
| ASRS Report | 604661 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : l tank fuel qty indication other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : person 3 |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : fault isolation |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
At about XA30 flight experienced multiple ECAM warnings for the automatic fuel feed system. While investigating these faults, the fuel quantity in the left outboard tank was noted as decreasing at an alarming rate. Declared emergency and requested return to ZZZ. Company was notified as were flight attendants. Appropriate checklists were completed. Low fuel quantity was accompanied by low pressure indication in #1 pump in left outer tank. Crash fire rescue equipment was requested and inspected aircraft (with maintenance) after uneventful landing at ZZZ (about XB00). No fuel leaks were noted. Taxied aircraft to gate. After arrival, was notified that we would be scheduled to take alternate aircraft to ZZZZ1. After considering stress of this event and the amount of fatigue, elected to use mid-sequence fatigue policy to ensure the safety of flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this automatic fuel system on this airplane is a chronic maintenance item with a number of write-ups. The reporter said the maintenance action taken and the fix is unknown as maintenance did not advise the crew.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AIRBUS 300 IN CRUISE AT FL330 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO MULTIPLE ECAM WARNINGS FOR THE AUTO FUEL FEED SYS AND L TANK INDICATION DECREASING.
Narrative: AT ABOUT XA30 FLT EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE ECAM WARNINGS FOR THE AUTO FUEL FEED SYS. WHILE INVESTIGATING THESE FAULTS, THE FUEL QUANTITY IN THE L OUTBOARD TANK WAS NOTED AS DECREASING AT AN ALARMING RATE. DECLARED EMER AND REQUESTED RETURN TO ZZZ. COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED AS WERE FLT ATTENDANTS. APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED. LOW FUEL QUANTITY WAS ACCOMPANIED BY LOW PRESSURE INDICATION IN #1 PUMP IN L OUTER TANK. CFR WAS REQUESTED AND INSPECTED ACFT (WITH MAINT) AFTER UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT ZZZ (ABOUT XB00). NO FUEL LEAKS WERE NOTED. TAXIED ACFT TO GATE. AFTER ARR, WAS NOTIFIED THAT WE WOULD BE SCHEDULED TO TAKE ALTERNATE ACFT TO ZZZZ1. AFTER CONSIDERING STRESS OF THIS EVENT AND THE AMOUNT OF FATIGUE, ELECTED TO USE MID-SEQUENCE FATIGUE POLICY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS AUTO FUEL SYS ON THIS AIRPLANE IS A CHRONIC MAINT ITEM WITH A NUMBER OF WRITE-UPS. THE RPTR SAID THE MAINT ACTION TAKEN AND THE FIX IS UNKNOWN AS MAINT DID NOT ADVISE THE CREW.
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.