Narrative:

During preflight; I checked fuel balance and fuel panel; but didn't notice that xfeed valves were open. There were several maintenance distrs during preflight; and I actually had to stop my overhead flow a couple of times. The aircraft had just emerged from phase inspection and many switches were in non-normal position. I made special note to the captain of such. I did notice a fuel confign message which was normal due to there being just enough fuel in the center tank to generate the message. Fairly late in the cruise portion of the flight; I noticed that the yoke was deflected several degrees to the right. I notified the captain; and we began investigating why. We found a significant fuel imbal between left and right main tanks of approximately 6700 pounds. The limitation is 1800 pounds. We also discovered that the xfeed valves were open (pump switches were in their normal position). Normally; the fuel confign light and message would have alerted us to the imbal; though this light was already illuminated due to the small amount of fuel in the center tank. We promptly began xfeeding to correct the imbal. Fuel imbal reached 1800 pounds about 5 mi final. Landing was uneventful; though fuel balance after landing varied slightly to just above the limitation. I strongly advocated placing the exceedance in the logbook; though the captain felt it was not necessary since we landed within the limits. The captain did consult maintenance upon block-in. The mechanics told us that a logbook entry was not necessary due to landing within limits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLT CREW EXCEEDED THE ALLOWABLE FUEL IMBALANCE LIMIT OF 1800 LBS; REACHING 6700 LBS BEFORE THE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED. THE FLT CREW NOTICED A NUMBER OF SWITCHES WERE OUT OF NORMAL POSITION FOLLOWING MAINTENANCE.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT; I CHKED FUEL BAL AND FUEL PANEL; BUT DIDN'T NOTICE THAT XFEED VALVES WERE OPEN. THERE WERE SEVERAL MAINT DISTRS DURING PREFLT; AND I ACTUALLY HAD TO STOP MY OVERHEAD FLOW A COUPLE OF TIMES. THE ACFT HAD JUST EMERGED FROM PHASE INSPECTION AND MANY SWITCHES WERE IN NON-NORMAL POS. I MADE SPECIAL NOTE TO THE CAPT OF SUCH. I DID NOTICE A FUEL CONFIGN MESSAGE WHICH WAS NORMAL DUE TO THERE BEING JUST ENOUGH FUEL IN THE CTR TANK TO GENERATE THE MESSAGE. FAIRLY LATE IN THE CRUISE PORTION OF THE FLT; I NOTICED THAT THE YOKE WAS DEFLECTED SEVERAL DEGS TO THE R. I NOTIFIED THE CAPT; AND WE BEGAN INVESTIGATING WHY. WE FOUND A SIGNIFICANT FUEL IMBAL BTWN L AND R MAIN TANKS OF APPROX 6700 LBS. THE LIMITATION IS 1800 LBS. WE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE XFEED VALVES WERE OPEN (PUMP SWITCHES WERE IN THEIR NORMAL POS). NORMALLY; THE FUEL CONFIGN LIGHT AND MESSAGE WOULD HAVE ALERTED US TO THE IMBAL; THOUGH THIS LIGHT WAS ALREADY ILLUMINATED DUE TO THE SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE CTR TANK. WE PROMPTLY BEGAN XFEEDING TO CORRECT THE IMBAL. FUEL IMBAL REACHED 1800 LBS ABOUT 5 MI FINAL. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL; THOUGH FUEL BAL AFTER LNDG VARIED SLIGHTLY TO JUST ABOVE THE LIMITATION. I STRONGLY ADVOCATED PLACING THE EXCEEDANCE IN THE LOGBOOK; THOUGH THE CAPT FELT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY SINCE WE LANDED WITHIN THE LIMITS. THE CAPT DID CONSULT MAINT UPON BLOCK-IN. THE MECHS TOLD US THAT A LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS NOT NECESSARY DUE TO LNDG WITHIN LIMITS.

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.