Narrative:

During preflight captain noticed that the green outer tank xfer message was on ECAM and that the xfer valves were showing open after fueling. They should have been closed during refueling. I called maintenance to inquire about getting them closed. Maintenance told me that someone had probably turned the refueling panel on after refueling was complete. I asked him what I need to do to get them closed; intending to call the fuelers out again. He asked if I had the correct fuel on board and I answered that I did. He said that it was ok to go that way. I couldn't find anything in limitations ph that said that they had to be closed and it was an advisory message; not a caution or warning. This was an A319; but the A321 doesn't even have them. I took maintenance's word and departed. After takeoff and the slats were retracted; I noticed on climb out that the center pump message did not come and the ECAM fuel display showed that they were off. We looked for a procedure in the QRH and ph and could find none. Limitations require that center fuel be used first; so I had to cycle the center pumps on and off twice to get the left on and 3 times to get the right on. After that I recalled that I also could have used the manual pb. Flight was uneventful after that. I wrote up the problem in the logbook and on the ground I called the flight manager's office to get some answers. In retrospect; I should have written up the xfer valves and had them MEL'ed; but I took maintenance at their word. I was fully prepared to write it up on the ground in mia; but unfortunately; I followed maintenance's advice. I also looked to see in the new ph if we supposed to check for center pump operation after slat retraction. We aren't in the new ph. I would have violated the limitations had I not checked for during climb out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER CONSULTATION WITH MAINT; A319 FLT CREW DEPARTS WITH ECAM ADVISORY MSG REGARDING FUEL TANK TRANSFER VALVES OPEN. FUEL MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS ENSUE.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT CAPT NOTICED THAT THE GREEN OUTER TANK XFER MESSAGE WAS ON ECAM AND THAT THE XFER VALVES WERE SHOWING OPEN AFTER FUELING. THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSED DURING REFUELING. I CALLED MAINT TO INQUIRE ABOUT GETTING THEM CLOSED. MAINT TOLD ME THAT SOMEONE HAD PROBABLY TURNED THE REFUELING PANEL ON AFTER REFUELING WAS COMPLETE. I ASKED HIM WHAT I NEED TO DO TO GET THEM CLOSED; INTENDING TO CALL THE FUELERS OUT AGAIN. HE ASKED IF I HAD THE CORRECT FUEL ON BOARD AND I ANSWERED THAT I DID. HE SAID THAT IT WAS OK TO GO THAT WAY. I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING IN LIMITATIONS PH THAT SAID THAT THEY HAD TO BE CLOSED AND IT WAS AN ADVISORY MESSAGE; NOT A CAUTION OR WARNING. THIS WAS AN A319; BUT THE A321 DOESN'T EVEN HAVE THEM. I TOOK MAINT'S WORD AND DEPARTED. AFTER TKOF AND THE SLATS WERE RETRACTED; I NOTICED ON CLBOUT THAT THE CTR PUMP MESSAGE DID NOT COME AND THE ECAM FUEL DISPLAY SHOWED THAT THEY WERE OFF. WE LOOKED FOR A PROC IN THE QRH AND PH AND COULD FIND NONE. LIMITATIONS REQUIRE THAT CTR FUEL BE USED FIRST; SO I HAD TO CYCLE THE CTR PUMPS ON AND OFF TWICE TO GET THE L ON AND 3 TIMES TO GET THE R ON. AFTER THAT I RECALLED THAT I ALSO COULD HAVE USED THE MANUAL PB. FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AFTER THAT. I WROTE UP THE PROB IN THE LOGBOOK AND ON THE GND I CALLED THE FLT MGR'S OFFICE TO GET SOME ANSWERS. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN UP THE XFER VALVES AND HAD THEM MEL'ED; BUT I TOOK MAINT AT THEIR WORD. I WAS FULLY PREPARED TO WRITE IT UP ON THE GND IN MIA; BUT UNFORTUNATELY; I FOLLOWED MAINT'S ADVICE. I ALSO LOOKED TO SEE IN THE NEW PH IF WE SUPPOSED TO CHK FOR CTR PUMP OP AFTER SLAT RETRACTION. WE AREN'T IN THE NEW PH. I WOULD HAVE VIOLATED THE LIMITATIONS HAD I NOT CHKED FOR DURING CLBOUT.

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.