Narrative:

On initial climb out at around 8000 ft; we were notified by the aft flight attendant that there was fuel leaking from the right wing. We then advised ATC that we needed to return to ZZZ and to have crash fire rescue equipment available. We realized we would be over our maximum landing weight; but made the decision not to delay the return. We landed without incident and taxied off the runway. We then talked to crash fire rescue equipment on the ground and asked for a visual that there was no fire present and what amount of fuel was leaking from the wing. They verified no smoke or fire and that a small amount of residual fuel was dripping from the right wing trailing edge. They then cleared us to the gate and we deplaned the passenger normally. The incident occurred because the right overwing fuel cap was not secured properly. After we landed; I inspected the fuel cap and the leading edge of the cap was skewed approximately 1/8 inch up; allow the fuel to escape. Fuelers should be made aware of the importance of the over-the-wing fuel cap to be absolutely flush with the wing surface after fueling. After the incident occurred; the fueler opened and closed the fuel cap several times and could not repeat the skewed position of the fuel cap.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ-900 AT 8000 FT WAS NOTIFIED BY FLT ATTENDANT OF FUEL LEAK ON RIGHT WING; FLT CREW RETURNED TO DEP ARPT REQUESTING CFR EQUIP; FUEL CAP WAS NOT SECURED.

Narrative: ON INITIAL CLBOUT AT AROUND 8000 FT; WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT THAT THERE WAS FUEL LEAKING FROM THE R WING. WE THEN ADVISED ATC THAT WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO ZZZ AND TO HAVE CFR AVAILABLE. WE REALIZED WE WOULD BE OVER OUR MAX LNDG WT; BUT MADE THE DECISION NOT TO DELAY THE RETURN. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TAXIED OFF THE RWY. WE THEN TALKED TO CFR ON THE GND AND ASKED FOR A VISUAL THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE PRESENT AND WHAT AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE WING. THEY VERIFIED NO SMOKE OR FIRE AND THAT A SMALL AMOUNT OF RESIDUAL FUEL WAS DRIPPING FROM THE R WING TRAILING EDGE. THEY THEN CLRED US TO THE GATE AND WE DEPLANED THE PAX NORMALLY. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED BECAUSE THE R OVERWING FUEL CAP WAS NOT SECURED PROPERLY. AFTER WE LANDED; I INSPECTED THE FUEL CAP AND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE CAP WAS SKEWED APPROX 1/8 INCH UP; ALLOW THE FUEL TO ESCAPE. FUELERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OVER-THE-WING FUEL CAP TO BE ABSOLUTELY FLUSH WITH THE WING SURFACE AFTER FUELING. AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED; THE FUELER OPENED AND CLOSED THE FUEL CAP SEVERAL TIMES AND COULD NOT REPEAT THE SKEWED POS OF THE FUEL CAP.

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.