Narrative:

Upon arrival in clt; first officer went outside to do walkaround and came back to tell me there had been a fuel spill (fuel pumping out on the ground) under our aircraft that he had to tell the fueler about since the fueler was occupied with something else in the cabin attendant of his truck; was not aware of the spill but was still allowing fuel to be xferred using his refueling hose attached to his equipment. First officer came inside and called operations to get someone to attend to the spill. Shortly after the spill; the refueling company had personnel arrive at the aircraft to deal with the problem. Apparently the fueling company thought the amount that was spilled was minor in nature. I'm not sure what 'minor' is; but as I was doing preflight duties in the cockpit; the fumes became so pronounced in the airplane (no passenger yet) that I turned off the packs. I then called ramp control to see what the procedure was for a fuel spill and she (controller) claimed she was new and did not know how it was handled. I thought perhaps crash fire rescue equipment should decide what size spill we had. I then went into the terminal and called the manager. I was told he was the person that deals with fuel spills as a representative for the station -- my phone call was the first he had heard of the event. While waiting for him; I went outside to check the spill myself and could still smell very strong fuel odors even though most of the fuel appeared to be gone. I asked the fueler if crash fire rescue equipment was required to be called in the event fuel was spilled and he told me only if they can't contain it. (Does this mean the fire has to be imminent?) he came to the aircraft and I asked him the procedure to be followed in the event of a fuel spill. He told me he was to be notified; which apparently didn't happen since I am the one who told him. (I am wondering if the station knows how to handle a potential disaster.) he also told me it was a small spill in liquid volume but my concerns were with the fumes and potential for a fire since I could still smell fumes 30 mins after the event. Apparently; stations have different procedures to follow in this type of event. It seems to me in ZZZ and most other places we fly; if fuel spills; a representative of crash fire rescue equipment is called to determine what is next. I would think that action to the conservative side in this type of event would be much safer than what apparently happens in clt. Within the last yr; I had an FAA safety inspector on the jumpseat. While on the jumpseat waiting to depart; he went out and checked a portable fire extinguisher and came back in the cockpit. When I asked him if something was wrong; he relayed that he had inspected extinguishers in clt before; found one that was empty; told station management; came back several days later to see the same extinguisher empty and was told an extinguisher was 'on order.' needless to say; he told whoever he was talking to it doesn't work that way. My concern with this station is perhaps they don't share the same concern about fumes/fire caused by fuel spills that I do. Manager was totally cooperative with me; but I feel that this issue needs revisiting at this station in case a major event were to occur.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CAPTAIN LAMENTS CAVALIER ATTITUDE OF CLT AIRPORT PERSONNEL WHEN A FUEL SPILL OCCURS UNDER HIS ACFT.

Narrative: UPON ARR IN CLT; FO WENT OUTSIDE TO DO WALKAROUND AND CAME BACK TO TELL ME THERE HAD BEEN A FUEL SPILL (FUEL PUMPING OUT ON THE GND) UNDER OUR ACFT THAT HE HAD TO TELL THE FUELER ABOUT SINCE THE FUELER WAS OCCUPIED WITH SOMETHING ELSE IN THE CAB OF HIS TRUCK; WAS NOT AWARE OF THE SPILL BUT WAS STILL ALLOWING FUEL TO BE XFERRED USING HIS REFUELING HOSE ATTACHED TO HIS EQUIP. FO CAME INSIDE AND CALLED OPS TO GET SOMEONE TO ATTEND TO THE SPILL. SHORTLY AFTER THE SPILL; THE REFUELING COMPANY HAD PERSONNEL ARRIVE AT THE ACFT TO DEAL WITH THE PROB. APPARENTLY THE FUELING COMPANY THOUGHT THE AMOUNT THAT WAS SPILLED WAS MINOR IN NATURE. I'M NOT SURE WHAT 'MINOR' IS; BUT AS I WAS DOING PREFLT DUTIES IN THE COCKPIT; THE FUMES BECAME SO PRONOUNCED IN THE AIRPLANE (NO PAX YET) THAT I TURNED OFF THE PACKS. I THEN CALLED RAMP CTL TO SEE WHAT THE PROC WAS FOR A FUEL SPILL AND SHE (CTLR) CLAIMED SHE WAS NEW AND DID NOT KNOW HOW IT WAS HANDLED. I THOUGHT PERHAPS CFR SHOULD DECIDE WHAT SIZE SPILL WE HAD. I THEN WENT INTO THE TERMINAL AND CALLED THE MGR. I WAS TOLD HE WAS THE PERSON THAT DEALS WITH FUEL SPILLS AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE STATION -- MY PHONE CALL WAS THE FIRST HE HAD HEARD OF THE EVENT. WHILE WAITING FOR HIM; I WENT OUTSIDE TO CHK THE SPILL MYSELF AND COULD STILL SMELL VERY STRONG FUEL ODORS EVEN THOUGH MOST OF THE FUEL APPEARED TO BE GONE. I ASKED THE FUELER IF CFR WAS REQUIRED TO BE CALLED IN THE EVENT FUEL WAS SPILLED AND HE TOLD ME ONLY IF THEY CAN'T CONTAIN IT. (DOES THIS MEAN THE FIRE HAS TO BE IMMINENT?) HE CAME TO THE ACFT AND I ASKED HIM THE PROC TO BE FOLLOWED IN THE EVENT OF A FUEL SPILL. HE TOLD ME HE WAS TO BE NOTIFIED; WHICH APPARENTLY DIDN'T HAPPEN SINCE I AM THE ONE WHO TOLD HIM. (I AM WONDERING IF THE STATION KNOWS HOW TO HANDLE A POTENTIAL DISASTER.) HE ALSO TOLD ME IT WAS A SMALL SPILL IN LIQUID VOLUME BUT MY CONCERNS WERE WITH THE FUMES AND POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE SINCE I COULD STILL SMELL FUMES 30 MINS AFTER THE EVENT. APPARENTLY; STATIONS HAVE DIFFERENT PROCS TO FOLLOW IN THIS TYPE OF EVENT. IT SEEMS TO ME IN ZZZ AND MOST OTHER PLACES WE FLY; IF FUEL SPILLS; A REPRESENTATIVE OF CFR IS CALLED TO DETERMINE WHAT IS NEXT. I WOULD THINK THAT ACTION TO THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE IN THIS TYPE OF EVENT WOULD BE MUCH SAFER THAN WHAT APPARENTLY HAPPENS IN CLT. WITHIN THE LAST YR; I HAD AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR ON THE JUMPSEAT. WHILE ON THE JUMPSEAT WAITING TO DEPART; HE WENT OUT AND CHKED A PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND CAME BACK IN THE COCKPIT. WHEN I ASKED HIM IF SOMETHING WAS WRONG; HE RELAYED THAT HE HAD INSPECTED EXTINGUISHERS IN CLT BEFORE; FOUND ONE THAT WAS EMPTY; TOLD STATION MGMNT; CAME BACK SEVERAL DAYS LATER TO SEE THE SAME EXTINGUISHER EMPTY AND WAS TOLD AN EXTINGUISHER WAS 'ON ORDER.' NEEDLESS TO SAY; HE TOLD WHOEVER HE WAS TALKING TO IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. MY CONCERN WITH THIS STATION IS PERHAPS THEY DON'T SHARE THE SAME CONCERN ABOUT FUMES/FIRE CAUSED BY FUEL SPILLS THAT I DO. MGR WAS TOTALLY COOPERATIVE WITH ME; BUT I FEEL THAT THIS ISSUE NEEDS REVISITING AT THIS STATION IN CASE A MAJOR EVENT WERE TO OCCUR.

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.