MD80 flight crew has a fuel imbalance during departure and diverts for landing.

Attributes
ACN	727016
Time
Date	200702
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sjc.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	727016
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	727018
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel gauges other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

At vr; I made a noticeable amount of left aileron input to maintain runway heading. We discussed some possible flight control malfunction until the first officer noticed the left fuel tank was reading 350 pounds and the right tank was reading 9200 pounds and the center tank was reading around 18000 pounds and verbalized it to me. We discussed going to sfo and called the maintenance and advised them that we had an uncommanded fuel feed from left tank to the center tank and was advised to land at sfo. During the preflight checklist; at the response to 'fuel panel quantity and distribution' I checked the fuel xfeed lever to close and discussed the actual fuel quantity of 28000 pounds being 1000 pounds more than the 'release fuel' of 27000 pounds (as this is not common these days and it used to be). This brought about a conversation about how the first officer had greeted the fueler at his refueling panel while doing the walkaround. I believe this distraction from checklist discipline drew me away from checking the correct fuel distribution. In retrospect I still believe the fuel panel looked ok!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW HAS A FUEL IMBALANCE DURING DEP AND DIVERTS FOR LANDING.

Narrative: AT VR; I MADE A NOTICEABLE AMOUNT OF L AILERON INPUT TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG. WE DISCUSSED SOME POSSIBLE FLT CTL MALFUNCTION UNTIL THE FO NOTICED THE L FUEL TANK WAS READING 350 LBS AND THE R TANK WAS READING 9200 LBS AND THE CTR TANK WAS READING AROUND 18000 LBS AND VERBALIZED IT TO ME. WE DISCUSSED GOING TO SFO AND CALLED THE MAINT AND ADVISED THEM THAT WE HAD AN UNCOMMANDED FUEL FEED FROM L TANK TO THE CTR TANK AND WAS ADVISED TO LAND AT SFO. DURING THE PREFLT CHKLIST; AT THE RESPONSE TO 'FUEL PANEL QUANTITY AND DISTRIBUTION' I CHKED THE FUEL XFEED LEVER TO CLOSE AND DISCUSSED THE ACTUAL FUEL QUANTITY OF 28000 LBS BEING 1000 LBS MORE THAN THE 'RELEASE FUEL' OF 27000 LBS (AS THIS IS NOT COMMON THESE DAYS AND IT USED TO BE). THIS BROUGHT ABOUT A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THE FO HAD GREETED THE FUELER AT HIS REFUELING PANEL WHILE DOING THE WALKAROUND. I BELIEVE THIS DISTR FROM CHKLIST DISCIPLINE DREW ME AWAY FROM CHKING THE CORRECT FUEL DISTRIBUTION. IN RETROSPECT I STILL BELIEVE THE FUEL PANEL LOOKED OK!

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.