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An EMB140 while being fueled; fuel was noted running out of the left wing tank vent. Technicians checked tank vent after fueling with no fuel leaking.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 688875 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200602 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 140 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| ASRS Report | 688875 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : engineering procedure contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
During preflight; I noticed fuel leaking from the left wing fuel vent. Fuel was streaming out of the vent while the aircraft was being refueled. The fuel left a 2 square ft puddle of fuel under the wing. The fuel stopped leaking when the refueling stopped. I notified the captain about the leak and he instructed me to contact maintenance. When maintenance arrived; they stated that they saw the puddle of fuel under the wing but did not see the fuel leaking now. I told the mechanics that fuel was streaming at a rate greater than 10 drops per min and that there was a previous write-up for the same problem. The mechanics order 100 pounds of fuel added to the aircraft to see if the vent would leak. The mechanics stated that since they did not see a leak during the test; it must have been less than the allowable limits and was acceptable in accordance with an emb technical letter.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EMB140 WHILE BEING FUELED; FUEL WAS NOTED RUNNING OUT OF THE L WING TANK VENT. TECHNICIANS CHKED TANK VENT AFTER FUELING WITH NO FUEL LEAKING.
Narrative: DURING PREFLT; I NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE L WING FUEL VENT. FUEL WAS STREAMING OUT OF THE VENT WHILE THE ACFT WAS BEING REFUELED. THE FUEL LEFT A 2 SQUARE FT PUDDLE OF FUEL UNDER THE WING. THE FUEL STOPPED LEAKING WHEN THE REFUELING STOPPED. I NOTIFIED THE CAPT ABOUT THE LEAK AND HE INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT MAINT. WHEN MAINT ARRIVED; THEY STATED THAT THEY SAW THE PUDDLE OF FUEL UNDER THE WING BUT DID NOT SEE THE FUEL LEAKING NOW. I TOLD THE MECHS THAT FUEL WAS STREAMING AT A RATE GREATER THAN 10 DROPS PER MIN AND THAT THERE WAS A PREVIOUS WRITE-UP FOR THE SAME PROB. THE MECHS ORDER 100 LBS OF FUEL ADDED TO THE ACFT TO SEE IF THE VENT WOULD LEAK. THE MECHS STATED THAT SINCE THEY DID NOT SEE A LEAK DURING THE TEST; IT MUST HAVE BEEN LESS THAN THE ALLOWABLE LIMITS AND WAS ACCEPTABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN EMB TECHNICAL LETTER.
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.