Air carrier widebody transport developed a fuel leak on an extended overwater flight. Flight crew di...

Attributes
ACN	87204
Time
Date	198805
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny tracon : bda
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic enroute : other oceanic enroute airway : a300 enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 13100
ASRS Report	87204
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer observation : company check pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 14000
ASRS Report	87231
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Detected abnormal fuel usage over catch. First officer visibility check of right wing confirmed leak. Isolated right inner tank. Subsequently detected abnormal fuel usage from left inner tank. Second visibility check by first officer indicated no leak from left wing but further check of right wing indicated a possible fuel leak from the right engine. Declared an emergency and diverted to bermuda. Shut down right engine and pulled fire handle. Fuel leak appeared to cease. Completed all appropriate checklists. Landed at bermuda uneventfully. This was a mechanical failure of a fuel pump. I have no suggestion on how to prevent this problem. However, as a contribution to safety, I feel that we should have better communication in the caribbean operation. It took an exceedingly long time to get a clearance. We had to declare an emergency and start a descent without a clearance. We maintained a very strict traffic watch in VMC but closer coordination with oceanic control would certainly help. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following. This was an inaugural flight for this aircraft on the jfk/sju route. Flight crew consisted of aircraft project manager and a ckp. Post-flight inspection revealed a hole in the fuel pump case caused by FOD. Pump was returned to manufacturer but they have not been able to determine the source of the object that damaged the pump. No other pump damage or problems recorded for this aircraft type through two years of operation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB DEVELOPED A FUEL LEAK ON AN EXTENDED OVERWATER FLT. FLT CREW DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE WHEN LEAK COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED WITH BOTH ENGINES OPERATING.

Narrative: DETECTED ABNORMAL FUEL USAGE OVER CATCH. F/O VIS CHK OF R WING CONFIRMED LEAK. ISOLATED R INNER TANK. SUBSEQUENTLY DETECTED ABNORMAL FUEL USAGE FROM L INNER TANK. SECOND VIS CHK BY F/O INDICATED NO LEAK FROM L WING BUT FURTHER CHK OF R WING INDICATED A POSSIBLE FUEL LEAK FROM THE R ENG. DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO BERMUDA. SHUT DOWN R ENG AND PULLED FIRE HANDLE. FUEL LEAK APPEARED TO CEASE. COMPLETED ALL APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. LANDED AT BERMUDA UNEVENTFULLY. THIS WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE OF A FUEL PUMP. I HAVE NO SUGGESTION ON HOW TO PREVENT THIS PROB. HOWEVER, AS A CONTRIBUTION TO SAFETY, I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BETTER COM IN THE CARIBBEAN OPERATION. IT TOOK AN EXCEEDINGLY LONG TIME TO GET A CLRNC. WE HAD TO DECLARE AN EMER AND START A DSCNT WITHOUT A CLRNC. WE MAINTAINED A VERY STRICT TFC WATCH IN VMC BUT CLOSER COORD WITH OCEANIC CTL WOULD CERTAINLY HELP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING. THIS WAS AN INAUGURAL FLT FOR THIS ACFT ON THE JFK/SJU RTE. FLT CREW CONSISTED OF ACFT PROJECT MGR AND A CKP. POST-FLT INSPECTION REVEALED A HOLE IN THE FUEL PUMP CASE CAUSED BY FOD. PUMP WAS RETURNED TO MANUFACTURER BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE OBJECT THAT DAMAGED THE PUMP. NO OTHER PUMP DAMAGE OR PROBS RECORDED FOR THIS ACFT TYPE THROUGH TWO YEARS OF OPERATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.

Air carrier widebody transport developed a fuel leak on an extended overwater flight. Flight crew diverted to alternate when leak could not be controlled with both engines operating.