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Flight crew was advised of fuel leaking from the left engine after arrival at the gate in dca. Leak stopped when fuel pumps were turned off and postflt inspection revealed reinforced rubber fuel line had burst.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 179469 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199105 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dca |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : czqx |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9950 flight time type : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 179469 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 179999 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
After parking our large transport at the gate, several mechanics entered the cockpit to report fuel leaking from the left engine. The passenger had deplaned in the normal manner. I went out to investigate and saw about a 10' X 10' pool of jet fuel on the ramp. The leak had now stopped with the fuel pumps off. Mechanics discovered a section of the fuel line--about 4' long, which consists of reinforced rubber hose--had burst. We were very fortunate that this occurred at the gate and not on the river approach to runway 18. I'm sure the result would have been a flameout, and quite possibly a very hot fire. I question whether this hose is prone to failure or if this was a very rare occurrence. I also wonder if the crash of the charter widebody transport could possibly have been caused by a serious fuel fire, from this sort of failure. A remote possibility, but it did cross my mind.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW WAS ADVISED OF FUEL LEAKING FROM THE LEFT ENGINE AFTER ARR AT THE GATE IN DCA. LEAK STOPPED WHEN FUEL PUMPS WERE TURNED OFF AND POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED REINFORCED RUBBER FUEL LINE HAD BURST.
Narrative: AFTER PARKING OUR LGT AT THE GATE, SEVERAL MECHS ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO RPT FUEL LEAKING FROM THE LEFT ENG. THE PAX HAD DEPLANED IN THE NORMAL MANNER. I WENT OUT TO INVESTIGATE AND SAW ABOUT A 10' X 10' POOL OF JET FUEL ON THE RAMP. THE LEAK HAD NOW STOPPED WITH THE FUEL PUMPS OFF. MECHS DISCOVERED A SECTION OF THE FUEL LINE--ABOUT 4' LONG, WHICH CONSISTS OF REINFORCED RUBBER HOSE--HAD BURST. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THIS OCCURRED AT THE GATE AND NOT ON THE RIVER APCH TO RWY 18. I'M SURE THE RESULT WOULD HAVE BEEN A FLAMEOUT, AND QUITE POSSIBLY A VERY HOT FIRE. I QUESTION WHETHER THIS HOSE IS PRONE TO FAILURE OR IF THIS WAS A VERY RARE OCCURRENCE. I ALSO WONDER IF THE CRASH OF THE CHARTER WDB COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A SERIOUS FUEL FIRE, FROM THIS SORT OF FAILURE. A REMOTE POSSIBILITY, BUT IT DID CROSS MY MIND.
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.