Narrative:

Aircraft was parked at the gate on a very clear, sunny day. Temperature 57 degrees F, aircraft fuel load called for 368200#, which would require all tanks to be as full as possible given a fuel density of 6.82 pounds/gal. Cockpit gauges read 367300# after fueling, which was 900 pounds short, but the 2 capts and copilot decided this was acceptable. The aircraft was already fueled to the maximum. A couple of mins before pushback maintenance called from the ground that fuel was flowing out of the left wing overflow port. It was then decided by the crew that we should push out of the gate, start the engines and burn off some fuel. This would stop the leakage rather than wait an extended period of time for defueling. The reason for the fuel venting overboard was because it was expanding in the tanks due to the heat of the sun on the tops of the wings. There was some confusion with our company personnel in operations as to what course of action should be taken. We thought that if we stayed in the gate the situation would not correct itself and defueling would most likely result in a mid-flight fuel stop. Fuel continued to leak as we taxied out, but slowed down and stopped as we approached takeoff position. One extra captain on board went to the rear of the cabin to look at the fuel venting. He said it came out as we made turns, but stopped when the aircraft stopped. On takeoff fuel could be seen coming out the left wing vent, but stopped very shortly after takeoff. The flight was normal after this point and we landed with adequate fuel west/O the need for a fuel stop. We later got a letter from the station manager saying the fire department was very upset with our taxiing while seeping fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OVERFLOW FUEL FROM FULL TANKS WITH FUEL EXPANDING IN THE TANKS BECAUSE OF TEMPERATURE HEATING CAUSED FUEL TO LEAK ONTO ASPHALT DURING TAXI AND ACCELERATION FOR TKOF. FIRE DEPARTMENT PROTEST.

Narrative: ACFT WAS PARKED AT THE GATE ON A VERY CLR, SUNNY DAY. TEMP 57 DEGS F, ACFT FUEL LOAD CALLED FOR 368200#, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE ALL TANKS TO BE AS FULL AS POSSIBLE GIVEN A FUEL DENSITY OF 6.82 LBS/GAL. COCKPIT GAUGES READ 367300# AFTER FUELING, WHICH WAS 900 LBS SHORT, BUT THE 2 CAPTS AND COPLT DECIDED THIS WAS ACCEPTABLE. THE ACFT WAS ALREADY FUELED TO THE MAX. A COUPLE OF MINS BEFORE PUSHBACK MAINT CALLED FROM THE GND THAT FUEL WAS FLOWING OUT OF THE LEFT WING OVERFLOW PORT. IT WAS THEN DECIDED BY THE CREW THAT WE SHOULD PUSH OUT OF THE GATE, START THE ENGS AND BURN OFF SOME FUEL. THIS WOULD STOP THE LEAKAGE RATHER THAN WAIT AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME FOR DEFUELING. THE REASON FOR THE FUEL VENTING OVERBOARD WAS BECAUSE IT WAS EXPANDING IN THE TANKS DUE TO THE HEAT OF THE SUN ON THE TOPS OF THE WINGS. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION WITH OUR COMPANY PERSONNEL IN OPS AS TO WHAT COURSE OF ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN. WE THOUGHT THAT IF WE STAYED IN THE GATE THE SITUATION WOULD NOT CORRECT ITSELF AND DEFUELING WOULD MOST LIKELY RESULT IN A MID-FLT FUEL STOP. FUEL CONTINUED TO LEAK AS WE TAXIED OUT, BUT SLOWED DOWN AND STOPPED AS WE APCHED TKOF POS. ONE EXTRA CAPT ON BOARD WENT TO THE REAR OF THE CABIN TO LOOK AT THE FUEL VENTING. HE SAID IT CAME OUT AS WE MADE TURNS, BUT STOPPED WHEN THE ACFT STOPPED. ON TKOF FUEL COULD BE SEEN COMING OUT THE LEFT WING VENT, BUT STOPPED VERY SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. THE FLT WAS NORMAL AFTER THIS POINT AND WE LANDED WITH ADEQUATE FUEL W/O THE NEED FOR A FUEL STOP. WE LATER GOT A LETTER FROM THE STATION MGR SAYING THE FIRE DEPT WAS VERY UPSET WITH OUR TAXIING WHILE SEEPING FUEL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.