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A B747-400 has forward cargo compartment unusable per MEL. 15000 pounds payload fuel added for center of gravity. At leveloff at FL310, found payload fuel being scavenged from center tank.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 625191 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200407 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzzz.airport |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 31000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747-400 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 625191 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 625193 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : center tank fuel quantity indicator other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : logbook entry |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Company Chart Or Publication Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Forward cargo compartment roller broken resulting in compartment unusable for containers. 15000 pounds fuel added as payload fuel for center of gravity. Release 2 arrived on ACARS during last mins of setup. Departed ZZZZ and on leveloff at FL310 found payload fuel in center tank scavenging to main tanks. ACARS'ed dispatch and then maintenance control for help on stopping scavenging. Dispatch was surprised we had the 15000 pounds extra payload fuel in addition to cleared fuel. They thought it was part of cleared fuel and were going to divert us to ZZZZ1. On release 2, we then noticed, did not add the 15000 pounds of fuel. Wondered why release 2 was sent (had assumed it was because of the added payload fuel discussed with ZZZZ operations)? Release 3 arrived. Maintenance control offered no solutions for stopping the scavenging. Asked if and where a circuit breaker was and was told it was in the east&east compartment. Called a flight attendant to the cockpit while captain went to east&east compartment to pull the breaker. Diverting to ZZZZ1 would not have done anything to help as fuel would have xferred by landing, causing the same problem. Everyone agreed. After pulling the circuit breaker, the scavenging stopped and flight continued to a smooth lng by me, the first officer, in ZZZZ2. Dispatch confirmed the 13.5K in the center tank was in limits or landing. Observations: did dispatch know of either the roller problem (it was on the maintenance release) and/or the center of gravity problem before takeoff (or did ZZZZ add the fuel on their own)? We were told company does not have procedure to stop scavenging payload fuel. Seems strange that if payload fuel is carried there, as I am sure it is sometimes, it would always scavenge itself out of balance. We asked for an MEL placard prior to takeoff for the forward cargo problem but were told there was not one and we were not smart enough to think about the fuel automatically scavenging.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B747-400 HAS FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT UNUSABLE PER MEL. 15000 LBS PAYLOAD FUEL ADDED FOR CTR OF GRAVITY. AT LEVELOFF AT FL310, FOUND PAYLOAD FUEL BEING SCAVENGED FROM CTR TANK.
Narrative: FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT ROLLER BROKEN RESULTING IN COMPARTMENT UNUSABLE FOR CONTAINERS. 15000 LBS FUEL ADDED AS PAYLOAD FUEL FOR CTR OF GRAVITY. RELEASE 2 ARRIVED ON ACARS DURING LAST MINS OF SETUP. DEPARTED ZZZZ AND ON LEVELOFF AT FL310 FOUND PAYLOAD FUEL IN CTR TANK SCAVENGING TO MAIN TANKS. ACARS'ED DISPATCH AND THEN MAINT CTL FOR HELP ON STOPPING SCAVENGING. DISPATCH WAS SURPRISED WE HAD THE 15000 LBS EXTRA PAYLOAD FUEL IN ADDITION TO CLRED FUEL. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS PART OF CLRED FUEL AND WERE GOING TO DIVERT US TO ZZZZ1. ON RELEASE 2, WE THEN NOTICED, DID NOT ADD THE 15000 LBS OF FUEL. WONDERED WHY RELEASE 2 WAS SENT (HAD ASSUMED IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE ADDED PAYLOAD FUEL DISCUSSED WITH ZZZZ OPS)? RELEASE 3 ARRIVED. MAINT CTL OFFERED NO SOLUTIONS FOR STOPPING THE SCAVENGING. ASKED IF AND WHERE A CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS AND WAS TOLD IT WAS IN THE E&E COMPARTMENT. CALLED A FLT ATTENDANT TO THE COCKPIT WHILE CAPT WENT TO E&E COMPARTMENT TO PULL THE BREAKER. DIVERTING TO ZZZZ1 WOULD NOT HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO HELP AS FUEL WOULD HAVE XFERRED BY LNDG, CAUSING THE SAME PROB. EVERYONE AGREED. AFTER PULLING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, THE SCAVENGING STOPPED AND FLT CONTINUED TO A SMOOTH LNG BY ME, THE FO, IN ZZZZ2. DISPATCH CONFIRMED THE 13.5K IN THE CTR TANK WAS IN LIMITS OR LNDG. OBSERVATIONS: DID DISPATCH KNOW OF EITHER THE ROLLER PROB (IT WAS ON THE MAINT RELEASE) AND/OR THE CTR OF GRAVITY PROB BEFORE TKOF (OR DID ZZZZ ADD THE FUEL ON THEIR OWN)? WE WERE TOLD COMPANY DOES NOT HAVE PROC TO STOP SCAVENGING PAYLOAD FUEL. SEEMS STRANGE THAT IF PAYLOAD FUEL IS CARRIED THERE, AS I AM SURE IT IS SOMETIMES, IT WOULD ALWAYS SCAVENGE ITSELF OUT OF BAL. WE ASKED FOR AN MEL PLACARD PRIOR TO TKOF FOR THE FORWARD CARGO PROB BUT WERE TOLD THERE WAS NOT ONE AND WE WERE NOT SMART ENOUGH TO THINK ABOUT THE FUEL AUTOMATICALLY SCAVENGING.
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.