Narrative:

After departing ZZZ; during climb out; ZZZ tower informed us of reported possible liquid or fuel leaking from our right wing. Tower asked what our plan was and we informed them we would continue. The captain checked in with departure and at that time we began to assess the situation. The center tank fuel gauge appeared to be counting down faster than normal. At that time we advised ATC we would like to return to ZZZ. I leveled the jet at 6000 ft and received radar vectors to return to ZZZ. We then advised ATC we wanted the long runway and to have crash fire rescue equipment escort us back to the gate. At this time we completed the appropriate checklists and discussed the overweight landing considerations. The captain advised dispatch and flight attendants of return to ZZZ with a normal landing. Captain made PA to passenger about return; followed by a normal landing but that the crash fire rescue equipment trucks would escort us to the gate and to not be alarmed. Approach and overweight landing was accomplished without incident touchdown approximately 200 FPM descent; flaps 30 degrees; 149 KTS. At the gate crash fire rescue equipment advised us they had observed a vapor trail streaming from our right wing on short final but did not observe it on taxi in. At the gate a visual inspection by flight crew found fuel was on the underside of the right wing and was observed dripping onto the ground at about mid wing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the fuel streaming from the right wing vent tube was reported by the tower and a company aircraft. On return to the field the vent tank outlet still had a small drip. The cause of the incident was over-fueling of the right wing and overflow entering the vent tank. This tank will normally drain into the main tank as the level drops.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 ON CLBOUT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT DUE TO A RPTED R WING FUEL LEAK.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING ZZZ; DURING CLBOUT; ZZZ TWR INFORMED US OF RPTED POSSIBLE LIQUID OR FUEL LEAKING FROM OUR R WING. TWR ASKED WHAT OUR PLAN WAS AND WE INFORMED THEM WE WOULD CONTINUE. THE CAPT CHKED IN WITH DEP AND AT THAT TIME WE BEGAN TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. THE CTR TANK FUEL GAUGE APPEARED TO BE COUNTING DOWN FASTER THAN NORMAL. AT THAT TIME WE ADVISED ATC WE WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO ZZZ. I LEVELED THE JET AT 6000 FT AND RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS TO RETURN TO ZZZ. WE THEN ADVISED ATC WE WANTED THE LONG RWY AND TO HAVE CFR ESCORT US BACK TO THE GATE. AT THIS TIME WE COMPLETED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND DISCUSSED THE OVERWT LNDG CONSIDERATIONS. THE CAPT ADVISED DISPATCH AND FLT ATTENDANTS OF RETURN TO ZZZ WITH A NORMAL LNDG. CAPT MADE PA TO PAX ABOUT RETURN; FOLLOWED BY A NORMAL LNDG BUT THAT THE CFR TRUCKS WOULD ESCORT US TO THE GATE AND TO NOT BE ALARMED. APCH AND OVERWT LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT TOUCHDOWN APPROX 200 FPM DSCNT; FLAPS 30 DEGS; 149 KTS. AT THE GATE CFR ADVISED US THEY HAD OBSERVED A VAPOR TRAIL STREAMING FROM OUR R WING ON SHORT FINAL BUT DID NOT OBSERVE IT ON TAXI IN. AT THE GATE A VISUAL INSPECTION BY FLT CREW FOUND FUEL WAS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE R WING AND WAS OBSERVED DRIPPING ONTO THE GND AT ABOUT MID WING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE FUEL STREAMING FROM THE R WING VENT TUBE WAS RPTED BY THE TWR AND A COMPANY ACFT. ON RETURN TO THE FIELD THE VENT TANK OUTLET STILL HAD A SMALL DRIP. THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS OVER-FUELING OF THE R WING AND OVERFLOW ENTERING THE VENT TANK. THIS TANK WILL NORMALLY DRAIN INTO THE MAIN TANK AS THE LEVEL DROPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.