B737-800 flight crew has a fuel spill while parked at the gate.

Attributes
ACN	693975
Time
Date	200604
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	693975
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After arriving to the aircraft; my first officer was out doing a preflight. He came back upstairs and informed me that there had been a fuel leak from the left wing. I then asked the agent to take a handicapped woman (waiting to board) sitting in her wheelchair off the jetbridge and back into the terminal. Shortly thereafter; we found out the left wing automatic shutoff valve had failed. I decided to go downstairs and see what was going on with the fuel spill. The ramp manager was down there with some of his individuals soaking up the fuel with 'oildry.' I asked why the fire department is not here standing by in case of a fire. Some of the fuel was leaking out the side of the oildry and down towards the main drain; along with lots of fumes. As this is happening the airport authority/authorized and local police department had already pulled up within 5 ft of the fuel spill with 1 car still running. I asked the individual to get the cars away from the fuel and the fumes due to the hot exhaust and ignition firing off on the running engine. She told me 'no I am not; we do this all the time and it's not a problem' and then walked away. This caused the flight to be canceled.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 FLT CREW HAS A FUEL SPILL WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE.

Narrative: AFTER ARRIVING TO THE ACFT; MY FO WAS OUT DOING A PREFLT. HE CAME BACK UPSTAIRS AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN A FUEL LEAK FROM THE L WING. I THEN ASKED THE AGENT TO TAKE A HANDICAPPED WOMAN (WAITING TO BOARD) SITTING IN HER WHEELCHAIR OFF THE JETBRIDGE AND BACK INTO THE TERMINAL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE FOUND OUT THE L WING AUTO SHUTOFF VALVE HAD FAILED. I DECIDED TO GO DOWNSTAIRS AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE FUEL SPILL. THE RAMP MGR WAS DOWN THERE WITH SOME OF HIS INDIVIDUALS SOAKING UP THE FUEL WITH 'OILDRY.' I ASKED WHY THE FIRE DEPT IS NOT HERE STANDING BY IN CASE OF A FIRE. SOME OF THE FUEL WAS LEAKING OUT THE SIDE OF THE OILDRY AND DOWN TOWARDS THE MAIN DRAIN; ALONG WITH LOTS OF FUMES. AS THIS IS HAPPENING THE ARPT AUTH AND LCL POLICE DEPT HAD ALREADY PULLED UP WITHIN 5 FT OF THE FUEL SPILL WITH 1 CAR STILL RUNNING. I ASKED THE INDIVIDUAL TO GET THE CARS AWAY FROM THE FUEL AND THE FUMES DUE TO THE HOT EXHAUST AND IGNITION FIRING OFF ON THE RUNNING ENG. SHE TOLD ME 'NO I AM NOT; WE DO THIS ALL THE TIME AND IT'S NOT A PROB' AND THEN WALKED AWAY. THIS CAUSED THE FLT TO BE CANCELED.

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.