MD83 flight crew has a fuel leak while enroute and diverts for landing.

Attributes
ACN	725638
Time
Date	200701
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 34000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	725638
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft

Narrative:

In cruise en route to sea; in the vicinity of den; flight attendants called the flight deck and stated that a passenger observed liquid streaming from an access panel on top of the left wing and atomizing in the slipstream. Flight attendants and a retired airline pilot (non revenue passenger in cabin; but not the one who originally reported the liquid to the flight attendants) confirmed leak appeared to be significant and probably fuel. QRH procedures followed-overboard leak suspected by visual observations and fuel quantity versus fuel used indications. Diverted to den for maintenance. Landed uneventfully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD83 FLT CREW HAS A FUEL LEAK WHILE ENROUTE AND DIVERTS FOR LNDG.

Narrative: IN CRUISE ENRTE TO SEA; IN THE VICINITY OF DEN; FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED THE FLT DECK AND STATED THAT A PAX OBSERVED LIQUID STREAMING FROM AN ACCESS PANEL ON TOP OF THE L WING AND ATOMIZING IN THE SLIPSTREAM. FLT ATTENDANTS AND A RETIRED AIRLINE PLT (NON REVENUE PAX IN CABIN; BUT NOT THE ONE WHO ORIGINALLY RPTED THE LIQUID TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS) CONFIRMED LEAK APPEARED TO BE SIGNIFICANT AND PROBABLY FUEL. QRH PROCS FOLLOWED-OVERBOARD LEAK SUSPECTED BY VISUAL OBSERVATIONS AND FUEL QUANTITY VERSUS FUEL USED INDICATIONS. DIVERTED TO DEN FOR MAINT. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.

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.