Narrative:

We were at gate in the process of boarding for our second leg of the day. The fueler came to the flight deck and informed me that all electrical power to the external fueling bay was lost. I went to investigate and then called dispatch. Maintenance was also in on the conversation. They asked me to try a couple of things that might reinstate the power. Our fuel load was full wings and I knew that it would be a tricky process to fill the wings normally. After several mins of trying everything, it became apparent that manual fueling was the only way to accomplish our fuel load. We instructed the fuelers what signals we would use and accomplished the rest of our preflight checks. Right before pushback, the gate agent informed me that they had overfilled my left wing and there was fuel spilling out of the wing onto the ramp. I left my seat to investigate and decided to get my full load of people out of that potentially bad situation. We left and went to chicago. I had hoped to MEL the fuel bay in stl, but the fuel spill changed my plans. I tried to get dispatch in the air, but with no success. I knew that the item could be MEL'd because I had already checked the book. In chicago I called dispatch and received a control # for the fuel bay. I feel bad about carrying the item 1 leg to chicago, but under the situation I felt safety of my passenger and crew were more important than letting them set in a pool of fuel while I went for a control #. Had the fire marshall not been involved, I would not be writing this. I like safety--that's why I did what I did!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELECTRICAL POWER LOST TO THE FUEL BAY, NECESSITATING MANUAL FUELING RESULTING IN FUEL SPILL.

Narrative: WE WERE AT GATE IN THE PROCESS OF BOARDING FOR OUR SECOND LEG OF THE DAY. THE FUELER CAME TO THE FLT DECK AND INFORMED ME THAT ALL ELECTRICAL PWR TO THE EXTERNAL FUELING BAY WAS LOST. I WENT TO INVESTIGATE AND THEN CALLED DISPATCH. MAINT WAS ALSO IN ON THE CONVERSATION. THEY ASKED ME TO TRY A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT MIGHT REINSTATE THE PWR. OUR FUEL LOAD WAS FULL WINGS AND I KNEW THAT IT WOULD BE A TRICKY PROCESS TO FILL THE WINGS NORMALLY. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF TRYING EVERYTHING, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT MANUAL FUELING WAS THE ONLY WAY TO ACCOMPLISH OUR FUEL LOAD. WE INSTRUCTED THE FUELERS WHAT SIGNALS WE WOULD USE AND ACCOMPLISHED THE REST OF OUR PREFLT CHKS. RIGHT BEFORE PUSHBACK, THE GATE AGENT INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD OVERFILLED MY LEFT WING AND THERE WAS FUEL SPILLING OUT OF THE WING ONTO THE RAMP. I LEFT MY SEAT TO INVESTIGATE AND DECIDED TO GET MY FULL LOAD OF PEOPLE OUT OF THAT POTENTIALLY BAD SITUATION. WE LEFT AND WENT TO CHICAGO. I HAD HOPED TO MEL THE FUEL BAY IN STL, BUT THE FUEL SPILL CHANGED MY PLANS. I TRIED TO GET DISPATCH IN THE AIR, BUT WITH NO SUCCESS. I KNEW THAT THE ITEM COULD BE MEL'D BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY CHKED THE BOOK. IN CHICAGO I CALLED DISPATCH AND RECEIVED A CTL # FOR THE FUEL BAY. I FEEL BAD ABOUT CARRYING THE ITEM 1 LEG TO CHICAGO, BUT UNDER THE SITUATION I FELT SAFETY OF MY PAX AND CREW WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN LETTING THEM SET IN A POOL OF FUEL WHILE I WENT FOR A CTL #. HAD THE FIRE MARSHALL NOT BEEN INVOLVED, I WOULD NOT BE WRITING THIS. I LIKE SAFETY--THAT'S WHY I DID WHAT I DID!

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.