BE90 flight crew immediately returns to field after fuel cap departs aircraft. Subsequent fueling of...

Attributes
ACN	789611
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	King Air C90 E90
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	789611
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Immediately after rotation on runway xxr (right after our wheels broke contact with the runway) our right wing fuel cap popped off and gave off a healthy shower of fuel. Rule #1 is to fly the airplane; and that's what we did until we cleared 500 ft of altitude. Right about this time as we were reaching for the push-to-talk switch to advise tower of our situation; they came on frequency calling what 'looked like' our right engine on fire. We advised them that it was nothing quite as dire; but we did need to land immediately. Tower asked us which runway we were requesting and based on the amount of fuel that was being sucked out; I asked for an immediate back to runway yyl; even though it would take some maneuvering. Tower gave the clearance and after a modified s-turn with steep banks to get aligned; we landed successfully and taxied in. After taxiing in and getting refueled; we were amazed to find that almost 40 gallons of fuel had been sucked out in that short amount of time; so one can only imagine how much would have been dumped if I had chosen the full crosswind/downwind/base/final approach back to the takeoff runway xxr!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE90 FLT CREW IMMEDIATELY RETURNS TO FIELD AFTER FUEL CAP DEPARTS AIRCRAFT. SUBSEQUENT FUELING OF AIRCRAFT REVEALS NEARLY 40 GALLONS OF FUEL HAD BEEN SUCTIONED OUT.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROTATION ON RWY XXR (RIGHT AFTER OUR WHEELS BROKE CONTACT WITH THE RWY) OUR R WING FUEL CAP POPPED OFF AND GAVE OFF A HEALTHY SHOWER OF FUEL. RULE #1 IS TO FLY THE AIRPLANE; AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID UNTIL WE CLRED 500 FT OF ALT. RIGHT ABOUT THIS TIME AS WE WERE REACHING FOR THE PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH TO ADVISE TWR OF OUR SITUATION; THEY CAME ON FREQ CALLING WHAT 'LOOKED LIKE' OUR R ENG ON FIRE. WE ADVISED THEM THAT IT WAS NOTHING QUITE AS DIRE; BUT WE DID NEED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. TWR ASKED US WHICH RWY WE WERE REQUESTING AND BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF FUEL THAT WAS BEING SUCKED OUT; I ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE BACK TO RWY YYL; EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD TAKE SOME MANEUVERING. TWR GAVE THE CLRNC AND AFTER A MODIFIED S-TURN WITH STEEP BANKS TO GET ALIGNED; WE LANDED SUCCESSFULLY AND TAXIED IN. AFTER TAXIING IN AND GETTING REFUELED; WE WERE AMAZED TO FIND THAT ALMOST 40 GALLONS OF FUEL HAD BEEN SUCKED OUT IN THAT SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME; SO ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MUCH WOULD HAVE BEEN DUMPED IF I HAD CHOSEN THE FULL XWIND/DOWNWIND/BASE/FINAL APCH BACK TO THE TKOF RWY XXR!

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.

BE90 flight crew immediately returns to field after fuel cap departs aircraft. Subsequent fueling of aircraft reveals nearly 40 gallons of fuel had been suctioned out.