A300 airbus flight crew has a fuel imbalance during departure from tjsj.

Attributes
ACN	715892
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sju.airport
State Reference	PR
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sju.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	715892
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ecam warning other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On climb out tjsj got fuel imbal advisory on ECAM left side fuel outer; inner tanks flashing green. Fuel quantities showed 8000 pounds imbal on inner tanks. Flight characteristics did not seem abnormal. Total fuel quantity was calculated as correct; no leak suspected. Went to manual feed to rebalance; contacted dispatch to make aware; technician notified and decision to continue to destination. Fuel was balanced in cruise and no other problems. Possible reasons for this situation. Fueler could have put in wrong distribution. Did not receive a fuel slip; wish I did as I always check slip with fuel page on ECAM. Possible xfer valve stuck open at some point after fueling. Did have a 4-1/2 hour delay on ground waiting for flight attendants; could have been insidious slow xfer. Did have fuel write-up coming into tjsj and mechanic did do fuel troubleshoot and reset. If done while being fueled could have affected fueler distribution? Possible other mechanical problem. Bottom line if it happened before takeoff I should have caught it. Contributing factors; fatigue. Also distraction by frustration trying to get push crew for 20 mins after door was closed making a long night even longer.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 AIRBUS FLT CREW HAS A FUEL IMBALANCE DURING DEP FROM TJSJ.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT TJSJ GOT FUEL IMBAL ADVISORY ON ECAM L SIDE FUEL OUTER; INNER TANKS FLASHING GREEN. FUEL QUANTITIES SHOWED 8000 LBS IMBAL ON INNER TANKS. FLT CHARACTERISTICS DID NOT SEEM ABNORMAL. TOTAL FUEL QUANTITY WAS CALCULATED AS CORRECT; NO LEAK SUSPECTED. WENT TO MANUAL FEED TO REBALANCE; CONTACTED DISPATCH TO MAKE AWARE; TECHNICIAN NOTIFIED AND DECISION TO CONTINUE TO DEST. FUEL WAS BALANCED IN CRUISE AND NO OTHER PROBS. POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THIS SITUATION. FUELER COULD HAVE PUT IN WRONG DISTRIBUTION. DID NOT RECEIVE A FUEL SLIP; WISH I DID AS I ALWAYS CHK SLIP WITH FUEL PAGE ON ECAM. POSSIBLE XFER VALVE STUCK OPEN AT SOME POINT AFTER FUELING. DID HAVE A 4-1/2 HR DELAY ON GND WAITING FOR FLT ATTENDANTS; COULD HAVE BEEN INSIDIOUS SLOW XFER. DID HAVE FUEL WRITE-UP COMING INTO TJSJ AND MECH DID DO FUEL TROUBLESHOOT AND RESET. IF DONE WHILE BEING FUELED COULD HAVE AFFECTED FUELER DISTRIBUTION? POSSIBLE OTHER MECHANICAL PROB. BOTTOM LINE IF IT HAPPENED BEFORE TKOF I SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS; FATIGUE. ALSO DISTR BY FRUSTRATION TRYING TO GET PUSH CREW FOR 20 MINS AFTER DOOR WAS CLOSED MAKING A LONG NIGHT EVEN LONGER.

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.