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Flight crew of B737 fail to turn on center tank fuel pumps during cockpit confign for engine start. Arrive at destination with main pumps nearly empty and switch to the center tank for approach and landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 622251 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200304 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lga.airport |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : iah.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight ground : parked ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 3500 |
| ASRS Report | 622251 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quant gauges. other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
The center tank fuel pumps were not turned on at the appropriate time in the before start checklist. The before start checklist was interrupted, in lga, by delivery of our clearance (due to not receiving a pre departure clearance), and we never returned to the last item on the list, which was the fuel pumps verification. During descent into iah, it was noticed, by me, that the main tanks were down to around 1500 pounds of fuel per tank. At that time, the center pumps were turned on, and the remainder of the flight was flown using center tank fuel. Total fuel at touchdown was 10400 pounds. As soon as the confign problem was detected, I had my copilot fly the aircraft, while I called our dispatcher to see if we could work up some last min landing weight and balance figures. A load planner came on line, but the conversation became very difficult, due to a very bad connection. With the increase in the cockpit workload, due to the impending landing, I opted to discontinue the call, and land the aircraft. The landing was normal and we taxied to the gate with no other problems.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF B737 FAIL TO TURN ON CTR TANK FUEL PUMPS DURING COCKPIT CONFIGN FOR ENG START. ARRIVE AT DEST WITH MAIN PUMPS NEARLY EMPTY AND SWITCH TO THE CTR TANK FOR APCH AND LNDG.
Narrative: THE CTR TANK FUEL PUMPS WERE NOT TURNED ON AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME IN THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. THE BEFORE START CHKLIST WAS INTERRUPTED, IN LGA, BY DELIVERY OF OUR CLRNC (DUE TO NOT RECEIVING A PDC), AND WE NEVER RETURNED TO THE LAST ITEM ON THE LIST, WHICH WAS THE FUEL PUMPS VERIFICATION. DURING DSCNT INTO IAH, IT WAS NOTICED, BY ME, THAT THE MAIN TANKS WERE DOWN TO AROUND 1500 LBS OF FUEL PER TANK. AT THAT TIME, THE CTR PUMPS WERE TURNED ON, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS FLOWN USING CTR TANK FUEL. TOTAL FUEL AT TOUCHDOWN WAS 10400 LBS. AS SOON AS THE CONFIGN PROB WAS DETECTED, I HAD MY COPLT FLY THE ACFT, WHILE I CALLED OUR DISPATCHER TO SEE IF WE COULD WORK UP SOME LAST MIN LNDG WT AND BAL FIGURES. A LOAD PLANNER CAME ON LINE, BUT THE CONVERSATION BECAME VERY DIFFICULT, DUE TO A VERY BAD CONNECTION. WITH THE INCREASE IN THE COCKPIT WORKLOAD, DUE TO THE IMPENDING LNDG, I OPTED TO DISCONTINUE THE CALL, AND LAND THE ACFT. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WITH NO OTHER PROBS.
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.