Narrative:

Received aircraft XXX for flight. Aircraft previously defueled down to 27.0 for the leg after being originally assigned a longer flight. Fuel slip in cockpit showed a fuel load in the following tanks: left wing = 12.9; center = 7.4; right wing = 6.8 leaving a discrepancy of over 6000 pounds between the 2 wing tanks (maximum imbal as shown on caution note on fuel slip is 1000 pounds between wing tanks). Called operations to request fuel supervisor to come to cockpit and show discrepancy and request rebal of fuel load. Called dispatcher and informed him of fuel imbal and would be taking delay while fuel redistributed. The fueler came to the cockpit but seemed to have trouble understanding thesituation and had difficulty reading fuel slip (heavily accented english; difficult to understand him). He asked that we turn on the center tank fuel pumps and open the xfeed valve. He then left the cockpit. At this point; the aircraft was fully boarded with 122 passenger (one whom was wheelchair assist) and 2 infants plus a crew of 5 (129 total souls aboard). I made a PA to the passenger explaining that we would have a slight delay due to the need to balance the fuel. I was very clear in explaining that we had more than adequate fuel aboard and this was a fuel xfer operation only. I also asked the gate agent to leave the jetway up to the aircraft and the entry door open until the fuel xfer was complete. Shortly thereafter; a different fueler came to the cockpit. He smelled heavily of jet fuel. He asked us in a rushed voice to turn off the fuel pumps and close the xfeed valve. He then told us there was 'a slight fuel spill....' I asked him how bad it was; and he said that fuel was pumping out under pressure from the single point hose connect point under the right wing. I asked him how much had pumped on the ground and he said '...about 4 gallons....' we could now begin to smell jet fuel in the cabin as well. I asked the first officer to look out the right side window to ascertain how bad the spill was. He opened the sliding r-hand cockpit window and immediately said that it was a large spill with the rear wheels of the fuel truck (which was underneath the right wing) awash with fuel and the spill spreading. The engine on the fuel truck was still running. I ordered the first officer to contact operations and inform them of the spill; to request hazmat and crash fire rescue equipment crews to respond to the scene and also to tell operations to inform the gate that we would immediately commence deplaning the passenger off the aircraft via the forward entry door and up the jetway into the terminal; and that we also had 1 wheelchair assist passenger. I then contacted the lead flight attendant and informed her that I would be evacing the aircraft through the forward entry door only; emphasizing that we would not be using the escape slides at this point and that I would make a PA momentarily. She indicated that she understood. I then made a PA to the passenger by first identing myself as the captain and asking for their immediate attention. I quickly explained that there was a fuel spill; and as a safety precaution; I was asking all passenger to leave all their items aboard the aircraft and to immediately exit the aircraft in an orderly manner via the forward entry door and proceed into the terminal. I also asked them to carefully listen to and follow any instructions of the flight attendants. The deplaning took approximately 3 mins and was orderly and calm. Oversight of contract fuel personnel. The fueler I spoke with had a limited command of english. He did not clearly understand what the initial problem was; namely a 6000+ fuel imbal that was not only aboard the aircraft; but was also written on the fuel slip immediately below the words 'caution -- maximum fuel imbal between main wing tanks 1000 pounds.' in addition; the fueling crews were reluctant to inform us of the extent of the fuel spill and in my opinion; did not grasp the threat present (ie; fuel spreading around rear wheels of the fuel truck near exhaust pipe with the truck engine still running while parked under the aircraft wing with fuel pouring out under pressure).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REBALANCING FUEL LOAD AT GATE RESULTS IN FUEL SPILL AND EVACUATION OF A319 AT THE GATE.

Narrative: RECEIVED ACFT XXX FOR FLT. ACFT PREVIOUSLY DEFUELED DOWN TO 27.0 FOR THE LEG AFTER BEING ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED A LONGER FLT. FUEL SLIP IN COCKPIT SHOWED A FUEL LOAD IN THE FOLLOWING TANKS: L WING = 12.9; CTR = 7.4; R WING = 6.8 LEAVING A DISCREPANCY OF OVER 6000 LBS BTWN THE 2 WING TANKS (MAX IMBAL AS SHOWN ON CAUTION NOTE ON FUEL SLIP IS 1000 LBS BTWN WING TANKS). CALLED OPS TO REQUEST FUEL SUPVR TO COME TO COCKPIT AND SHOW DISCREPANCY AND REQUEST REBAL OF FUEL LOAD. CALLED DISPATCHER AND INFORMED HIM OF FUEL IMBAL AND WOULD BE TAKING DELAY WHILE FUEL REDISTRIBUTED. THE FUELER CAME TO THE COCKPIT BUT SEEMED TO HAVE TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THESITUATION AND HAD DIFFICULTY READING FUEL SLIP (HEAVILY ACCENTED ENGLISH; DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND HIM). HE ASKED THAT WE TURN ON THE CTR TANK FUEL PUMPS AND OPEN THE XFEED VALVE. HE THEN LEFT THE COCKPIT. AT THIS POINT; THE ACFT WAS FULLY BOARDED WITH 122 PAX (ONE WHOM WAS WHEELCHAIR ASSIST) AND 2 INFANTS PLUS A CREW OF 5 (129 TOTAL SOULS ABOARD). I MADE A PA TO THE PAX EXPLAINING THAT WE WOULD HAVE A SLIGHT DELAY DUE TO THE NEED TO BALANCE THE FUEL. I WAS VERY CLR IN EXPLAINING THAT WE HAD MORE THAN ADEQUATE FUEL ABOARD AND THIS WAS A FUEL XFER OP ONLY. I ALSO ASKED THE GATE AGENT TO LEAVE THE JETWAY UP TO THE ACFT AND THE ENTRY DOOR OPEN UNTIL THE FUEL XFER WAS COMPLETE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; A DIFFERENT FUELER CAME TO THE COCKPIT. HE SMELLED HEAVILY OF JET FUEL. HE ASKED US IN A RUSHED VOICE TO TURN OFF THE FUEL PUMPS AND CLOSE THE XFEED VALVE. HE THEN TOLD US THERE WAS 'A SLIGHT FUEL SPILL....' I ASKED HIM HOW BAD IT WAS; AND HE SAID THAT FUEL WAS PUMPING OUT UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE SINGLE POINT HOSE CONNECT POINT UNDER THE R WING. I ASKED HIM HOW MUCH HAD PUMPED ON THE GND AND HE SAID '...ABOUT 4 GALLONS....' WE COULD NOW BEGIN TO SMELL JET FUEL IN THE CABIN AS WELL. I ASKED THE FO TO LOOK OUT THE R SIDE WINDOW TO ASCERTAIN HOW BAD THE SPILL WAS. HE OPENED THE SLIDING R-HAND COCKPIT WINDOW AND IMMEDIATELY SAID THAT IT WAS A LARGE SPILL WITH THE REAR WHEELS OF THE FUEL TRUCK (WHICH WAS UNDERNEATH THE R WING) AWASH WITH FUEL AND THE SPILL SPREADING. THE ENG ON THE FUEL TRUCK WAS STILL RUNNING. I ORDERED THE FO TO CONTACT OPS AND INFORM THEM OF THE SPILL; TO REQUEST HAZMAT AND CFR CREWS TO RESPOND TO THE SCENE AND ALSO TO TELL OPS TO INFORM THE GATE THAT WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY COMMENCE DEPLANING THE PAX OFF THE ACFT VIA THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR AND UP THE JETWAY INTO THE TERMINAL; AND THAT WE ALSO HAD 1 WHEELCHAIR ASSIST PAX. I THEN CONTACTED THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT AND INFORMED HER THAT I WOULD BE EVACING THE ACFT THROUGH THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR ONLY; EMPHASIZING THAT WE WOULD NOT BE USING THE ESCAPE SLIDES AT THIS POINT AND THAT I WOULD MAKE A PA MOMENTARILY. SHE INDICATED THAT SHE UNDERSTOOD. I THEN MADE A PA TO THE PAX BY FIRST IDENTING MYSELF AS THE CAPT AND ASKING FOR THEIR IMMEDIATE ATTN. I QUICKLY EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL SPILL; AND AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION; I WAS ASKING ALL PAX TO LEAVE ALL THEIR ITEMS ABOARD THE ACFT AND TO IMMEDIATELY EXIT THE ACFT IN AN ORDERLY MANNER VIA THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR AND PROCEED INTO THE TERMINAL. I ALSO ASKED THEM TO CAREFULLY LISTEN TO AND FOLLOW ANY INSTRUCTIONS OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THE DEPLANING TOOK APPROX 3 MINS AND WAS ORDERLY AND CALM. OVERSIGHT OF CONTRACT FUEL PERSONNEL. THE FUELER I SPOKE WITH HAD A LIMITED COMMAND OF ENGLISH. HE DID NOT CLRLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE INITIAL PROB WAS; NAMELY A 6000+ FUEL IMBAL THAT WAS NOT ONLY ABOARD THE ACFT; BUT WAS ALSO WRITTEN ON THE FUEL SLIP IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE WORDS 'CAUTION -- MAX FUEL IMBAL BTWN MAIN WING TANKS 1000 LBS.' IN ADDITION; THE FUELING CREWS WERE RELUCTANT TO INFORM US OF THE EXTENT OF THE FUEL SPILL AND IN MY OPINION; DID NOT GRASP THE THREAT PRESENT (IE; FUEL SPREADING AROUND REAR WHEELS OF THE FUEL TRUCK NEAR EXHAUST PIPE WITH THE TRUCK ENG STILL RUNNING WHILE PARKED UNDER THE ACFT WING WITH FUEL POURING OUT UNDER PRESSURE).

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.