Narrative:

Fuel vent/spill on ramp. As fueler was finishing fuel started venting from the right wing surge tank onto the ramp. Initial rate seemed quite high. Puddle on ramp appeared to be 15 ft wide by about 50 ft long. Airport cleanup truck and fire truck were both quick to respond. Number of things happened and not sure how they interact. Fueler noted that the tank shut off before it was full. Not sure which tank. Circuit breakers were pulled to allow additional fueling of tanks. The need to add fuel to the wing tanks was decided 'since we were carrying fuel in the center tank.' APU was started near the end of the fueling for aircraft requirements (cabin was getting hot). This aircraft has hydro/mechanical scavenge system which starts an aft boost pump in each main tank when the APU runs. Called dispatch and requested maintenance to be included in the call. Advised that we were facing extended delay. Asked maintenance if there were any configns of the fuel system we could select to stop the fuel flow. Maintenance indicated we would just have to wait until the fuel quit flowing and that shutting down the APU would not be helpful. Airport operations would not allow us to move until the flow from the surge tank stopped and the ramp was cleaned/stable with the fuel spill. On pushback we could see that some fuel still vented onto the ramp. Once able to taxi we delayed flap extension for a couple of mins in an effort to allow some fuel to move from the surge tank. Noted that the outboard fuel levels were 30.0 on the non-spill side and 29.5 on the side that spilled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CAPT REPORTS FUEL SPILL FROM SURGE TANK DURING FUELING. CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED TO DISABLE AUTOMATIC SHUT OFF WHICH WAS MALFUNCTIONING.

Narrative: FUEL VENT/SPILL ON RAMP. AS FUELER WAS FINISHING FUEL STARTED VENTING FROM THE R WING SURGE TANK ONTO THE RAMP. INITIAL RATE SEEMED QUITE HIGH. PUDDLE ON RAMP APPEARED TO BE 15 FT WIDE BY ABOUT 50 FT LONG. ARPT CLEANUP TRUCK AND FIRE TRUCK WERE BOTH QUICK TO RESPOND. NUMBER OF THINGS HAPPENED AND NOT SURE HOW THEY INTERACT. FUELER NOTED THAT THE TANK SHUT OFF BEFORE IT WAS FULL. NOT SURE WHICH TANK. CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL FUELING OF TANKS. THE NEED TO ADD FUEL TO THE WING TANKS WAS DECIDED 'SINCE WE WERE CARRYING FUEL IN THE CTR TANK.' APU WAS STARTED NEAR THE END OF THE FUELING FOR ACFT REQUIREMENTS (CABIN WAS GETTING HOT). THIS ACFT HAS HYDRO/MECHANICAL SCAVENGE SYS WHICH STARTS AN AFT BOOST PUMP IN EACH MAIN TANK WHEN THE APU RUNS. CALLED DISPATCH AND REQUESTED MAINT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE CALL. ADVISED THAT WE WERE FACING EXTENDED DELAY. ASKED MAINT IF THERE WERE ANY CONFIGNS OF THE FUEL SYS WE COULD SELECT TO STOP THE FUEL FLOW. MAINT INDICATED WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE FUEL QUIT FLOWING AND THAT SHUTTING DOWN THE APU WOULD NOT BE HELPFUL. ARPT OPS WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO MOVE UNTIL THE FLOW FROM THE SURGE TANK STOPPED AND THE RAMP WAS CLEANED/STABLE WITH THE FUEL SPILL. ON PUSHBACK WE COULD SEE THAT SOME FUEL STILL VENTED ONTO THE RAMP. ONCE ABLE TO TAXI WE DELAYED FLAP EXTENSION FOR A COUPLE OF MINS IN AN EFFORT TO ALLOW SOME FUEL TO MOVE FROM THE SURGE TANK. NOTED THAT THE OUTBOARD FUEL LEVELS WERE 30.0 ON THE NON-SPILL SIDE AND 29.5 ON THE SIDE THAT SPILLED.

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.