Narrative:

Ir 2 fault displayed on upper ECAM during initial cockpit preparation. I notified the ZZZ line maintenance. Maintenance eventually decided to replace the faulty IR2. When line mechanic finished the job; he came to cockpit to do a CAT III autoland test. He said that we would be ready for departure after the test. I finished captain's cockpit preparation after receiving this information. This airplane's automatic fuel system was inoperative. So I configured the fuel panel according to operations placard. We had total of 29130 pounds of gas on board. Left main had 13830 pounds; right main 13930 pounds and center had 1370 pounds according to fuel sheet. Operations placard stated: if center tank is not empty; before engine start 'a' fuel mode select 'manual.' 3 mins after start 'a' center tank pump 1 and 2 'off.' since we had fuel in center tank; I configured the fuel panel as all 6 fuel pumps on and fuel mode select 'manual.' however; the ramp people came to cockpit and told us that we were leaking fuel from the right wing. I went outside to check on the leak. I saw fuel was coming out of the vent drain under the right wing and forming a big puddle. I told the ramp supervisor to call the fire department and get the equipment to contain the fuel under the wing. I immediately went inside and turned off all of the fuel pumps. That stopped the fuel leak. When I looked at the fuel ECAM page; I noticed that the center tank fuel was down to 270 pounds. It seemed like center tank fuel was xferred to the wing tanks. Our APU was running at the time so the left wing tank was slightly less than the right wing tank. I went outside and coordination with the fire marshall. He first wanted the passenger off the plane but then he changed his mind and left the passenger on board. We made announcements to the passenger during and after the event. I coordination with the maintenance and dispatcher for a new release. I think one of the factors contributing to this event is the way operations placard was written. There is a possibility of fuel venting when the wing tanks are completely full and there is fuel in the center tank. Higher output pressure of the center tank fuel pumps override the wing tank's fuel pumps and fuel transfers to the wing tanks. Fuel starts venting overboard when the wing tanks are overfilled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 EXPERIENCED A FUEL SPILL AT THE GATE.

Narrative: IR 2 FAULT DISPLAYED ON UPPER ECAM DURING INITIAL COCKPIT PREPARATION. I NOTIFIED THE ZZZ LINE MAINT. MAINT EVENTUALLY DECIDED TO REPLACE THE FAULTY IR2. WHEN LINE MECH FINISHED THE JOB; HE CAME TO COCKPIT TO DO A CAT III AUTOLAND TEST. HE SAID THAT WE WOULD BE READY FOR DEP AFTER THE TEST. I FINISHED CAPT'S COCKPIT PREPARATION AFTER RECEIVING THIS INFO. THIS AIRPLANE'S AUTO FUEL SYS WAS INOP. SO I CONFIGURED THE FUEL PANEL ACCORDING TO OPS PLACARD. WE HAD TOTAL OF 29130 LBS OF GAS ON BOARD. L MAIN HAD 13830 LBS; R MAIN 13930 LBS AND CTR HAD 1370 LBS ACCORDING TO FUEL SHEET. OPS PLACARD STATED: IF CTR TANK IS NOT EMPTY; BEFORE ENG START 'A' FUEL MODE SELECT 'MANUAL.' 3 MINS AFTER START 'A' CTR TANK PUMP 1 AND 2 'OFF.' SINCE WE HAD FUEL IN CTR TANK; I CONFIGURED THE FUEL PANEL AS ALL 6 FUEL PUMPS ON AND FUEL MODE SELECT 'MANUAL.' HOWEVER; THE RAMP PEOPLE CAME TO COCKPIT AND TOLD US THAT WE WERE LEAKING FUEL FROM THE R WING. I WENT OUTSIDE TO CHK ON THE LEAK. I SAW FUEL WAS COMING OUT OF THE VENT DRAIN UNDER THE R WING AND FORMING A BIG PUDDLE. I TOLD THE RAMP SUPVR TO CALL THE FIRE DEPT AND GET THE EQUIP TO CONTAIN THE FUEL UNDER THE WING. I IMMEDIATELY WENT INSIDE AND TURNED OFF ALL OF THE FUEL PUMPS. THAT STOPPED THE FUEL LEAK. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE FUEL ECAM PAGE; I NOTICED THAT THE CTR TANK FUEL WAS DOWN TO 270 LBS. IT SEEMED LIKE CTR TANK FUEL WAS XFERRED TO THE WING TANKS. OUR APU WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME SO THE L WING TANK WAS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE R WING TANK. I WENT OUTSIDE AND COORD WITH THE FIRE MARSHALL. HE FIRST WANTED THE PAX OFF THE PLANE BUT THEN HE CHANGED HIS MIND AND LEFT THE PAX ON BOARD. WE MADE ANNOUNCEMENTS TO THE PAX DURING AND AFTER THE EVENT. I COORD WITH THE MAINT AND DISPATCHER FOR A NEW RELEASE. I THINK ONE OF THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS EVENT IS THE WAY OPS PLACARD WAS WRITTEN. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF FUEL VENTING WHEN THE WING TANKS ARE COMPLETELY FULL AND THERE IS FUEL IN THE CTR TANK. HIGHER OUTPUT PRESSURE OF THE CTR TANK FUEL PUMPS OVERRIDE THE WING TANK'S FUEL PUMPS AND FUEL TRANSFERS TO THE WING TANKS. FUEL STARTS VENTING OVERBOARD WHEN THE WING TANKS ARE OVERFILLED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.