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B737 flight crew discovers fuel imbalance during climb at FL180 and elects to return to departure airport; suspecting a fuel leak.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 744287 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200707 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 18000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-500 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 106 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 106 |
| ASRS Report | 744287 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 744288 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Climbing through approximately FL180 I was still hand flying and was trimming a little more left wing down when I looked at the fuel gauges and noticed a 1200 pound split. I said something to the captain and he started checking all gauges; and pulled out the checklist for suspected fuel leak. We decided to return to ZZZ as the rate of decrease on the #1 tank was unusually high. Trimmed aircraft and engaged autoplt -- it did not feel that unusual. We thought it might be a gauge problem; as the flight attendants did not notice anything visual that was abnormal and all engine gauges were normal. Captain briefed that if fuel continued to go down and got below a set amount on #1 that we would shut down engine #1. Fuel at touchdown was approximately 2000 pounds left; 4800 pounds right. Landing was normal. We were met by emergency vehicles who inspected us and observed no leaks. They followed us to the gate; still no leaks seen. When we parked maintenance dripped tanks and found fuel gauges to be accurate. Callback conversation with reporter on acn 744288 revealed the following information: the reporter has not heard anything from maintenance but believes that the xfeed valve was the most likely culprit.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 FLT CREW DISCOVERS FUEL IMBALANCE DURING CLIMB AT FL180 AND ELECTS TO RETURN TO DEPARTURE ARPT; SUSPECTING A FUEL LEAK.
Narrative: CLBING THROUGH APPROX FL180 I WAS STILL HAND FLYING AND WAS TRIMMING A LITTLE MORE L WING DOWN WHEN I LOOKED AT THE FUEL GAUGES AND NOTICED A 1200 LB SPLIT. I SAID SOMETHING TO THE CAPT AND HE STARTED CHKING ALL GAUGES; AND PULLED OUT THE CHKLIST FOR SUSPECTED FUEL LEAK. WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO ZZZ AS THE RATE OF DECREASE ON THE #1 TANK WAS UNUSUALLY HIGH. TRIMMED ACFT AND ENGAGED AUTOPLT -- IT DID NOT FEEL THAT UNUSUAL. WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A GAUGE PROB; AS THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING VISUAL THAT WAS ABNORMAL AND ALL ENG GAUGES WERE NORMAL. CAPT BRIEFED THAT IF FUEL CONTINUED TO GO DOWN AND GOT BELOW A SET AMOUNT ON #1 THAT WE WOULD SHUT DOWN ENG #1. FUEL AT TOUCHDOWN WAS APPROX 2000 LBS L; 4800 LBS R. LNDG WAS NORMAL. WE WERE MET BY EMER VEHICLES WHO INSPECTED US AND OBSERVED NO LEAKS. THEY FOLLOWED US TO THE GATE; STILL NO LEAKS SEEN. WHEN WE PARKED MAINT DRIPPED TANKS AND FOUND FUEL GAUGES TO BE ACCURATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ON ACN 744288 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM MAINT BUT BELIEVES THAT THE XFEED VALVE WAS THE MOST LIKELY CULPRIT.
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.