Air carrier has fuel imbal unable to maintain balance after correcting. Declares emergency.

Attributes
ACN	227473
Time
Date	199211
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aus
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 41000 msl bound upper : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : dfw artcc : zhu tracon : zhu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 225
ASRS Report	227473
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 435
ASRS Report	227478
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Noted excessive fuel usage/imbal between main tanks, left tank lower. Balanced fuel using normal procedures. Fuel returned to approximately 1000 pounds imbal in approximately 3 mins. Ran 'disappearing fuel' checklist. Visual check of left engine by first officer from cabin confirmed substantial fuel leak/vapor trail from engine pylon. Finished previous checklist by shutting down left engine. Declared emergency, requested lower altitude and clearance to dfw direct. Center very helpful, gave us fantastic assistance. First officer ran 'precautionary shutdown' and 'single engine approach/landing' checklists in accordance with airlines procedures. Dfw landing south, approach offered us 35R which we accepted. 'Landing' checks completed. Uneventful single engine, full stop landing runway 35R, dfw. Post-flight inspection revealed fractured fuel line flange at attachment point to intersection operation fuel controller.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HAS FUEL IMBAL UNABLE TO MAINTAIN BAL AFTER CORRECTING. DECLARES EMER.

Narrative: NOTED EXCESSIVE FUEL USAGE/IMBAL BTWN MAIN TANKS, L TANK LOWER. BALANCED FUEL USING NORMAL PROCS. FUEL RETURNED TO APPROX 1000 POUNDS IMBAL IN APPROX 3 MINS. RAN 'DISAPPEARING FUEL' CHKLIST. VISUAL CHK OF L ENG BY FO FROM CABIN CONFIRMED SUBSTANTIAL FUEL LEAK/VAPOR TRAIL FROM ENG PYLON. FINISHED PREVIOUS CHKLIST BY SHUTTING DOWN L ENG. DECLARED EMER, REQUESTED LOWER ALT AND CLRNC TO DFW DIRECT. CTR VERY HELPFUL, GAVE US FANTASTIC ASSISTANCE. FO RAN 'PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN' AND 'SINGLE ENG APCH/LNDG' CHKLISTS IAW AIRLINES PROCS. DFW LNDG S, APCH OFFERED US 35R WHICH WE ACCEPTED. 'LNDG' CHKS COMPLETED. UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENG, FULL STOP LNDG RWY 35R, DFW. POST-FLT INSPECTION REVEALED FRACTURED FUEL LINE FLANGE AT ATTACHMENT POINT TO INTXN OP FUEL CTLR.

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.