Narrative:

Flight jfk-atl. Failure of center tank pump in-flight. All checklists were completed according to normal operating procedures. Prior to takeoff all fuel pump switches were confirmed to be in the 'on' position. Passing through 10000 ft, the after takeoff checklist was completed and fuel feed appeared normal. I was flying and the captain was monitoring our flight progress, noting remaining fuel and times over various chkpoints. After approximately 1 hour, 30 mins into the flight, I crosschecked the fuel gauges to confirm our fuel usage and saw that fuel was not being fed from the center tank. After confirming that the pump switches were still on, we determined that numerous circuit breakers had popped. (Aft cargo compartment fan B and C phases, forward right main fuel pump B phase, left aft main fuel pump B phase, forward center pump B phase.) all of these breakers reset except for forward center pump B phase. We followed standard company procedures to reestablish proper fuel feed and continued to our destination. Recommendations: 1) install fuel pump failure warning lights on all fuel pumps. 2) incorporate provisions on the flight plan for recording individual tank quantity readings over chkpoints versus the current policy of using only total fuel remaining. I feel that these 2 steps would help to catch the fuel feed problems that do occur. The fuel alert light would be an instant indication of pump failure for any reason. Changing our flight plan format would force a closer reading of individual tank gauges which would help to overcome the reduced information displayed by a digital gauge versus an analog gauge. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the fuel pump circuit breakers sometimes 'trip internally.' it trips and there is no visible evidence it has tripped. Thus it must be 'pulled and reset.' this has happened to the center boost pump in the past. At that time, the wing tanks feed the engines until they run dry and the fuel in the center (largest) tank is unavailable. There is no procedure to make sure the center tank is feeding the engines. This has resulted in a double flameout which wasn't restarted until about 4000 ft. Reporter claims that other airlines have boost pump low pressure lights installed but his carrier chose not to have them installed. He claims the air carrier blames the flcs for the problem rather than admit a problem with the aircraft and spending the money to fix it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTR TANK FUEL PUMPS FAIL IN FLT CAUSING A POTENTIAL FUEL STARVATION PROB.

Narrative: FLT JFK-ATL. FAILURE OF CTR TANK PUMP INFLT. ALL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED ACCORDING TO NORMAL OPERATING PROCS. PRIOR TO TKOF ALL FUEL PUMP SWITCHES WERE CONFIRMED TO BE IN THE 'ON' POS. PASSING THROUGH 10000 FT, THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED AND FUEL FEED APPEARED NORMAL. I WAS FLYING AND THE CAPT WAS MONITORING OUR FLT PROGRESS, NOTING REMAINING FUEL AND TIMES OVER VARIOUS CHKPOINTS. AFTER APPROX 1 HR, 30 MINS INTO THE FLT, I XCHKED THE FUEL GAUGES TO CONFIRM OUR FUEL USAGE AND SAW THAT FUEL WAS NOT BEING FED FROM THE CTR TANK. AFTER CONFIRMING THAT THE PUMP SWITCHES WERE STILL ON, WE DETERMINED THAT NUMEROUS CIRCUIT BREAKERS HAD POPPED. (AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT FAN B AND C PHASES, FORWARD R MAIN FUEL PUMP B PHASE, L AFT MAIN FUEL PUMP B PHASE, FORWARD CTR PUMP B PHASE.) ALL OF THESE BREAKERS RESET EXCEPT FOR FORWARD CTR PUMP B PHASE. WE FOLLOWED STANDARD COMPANY PROCS TO REESTABLISH PROPER FUEL FEED AND CONTINUED TO OUR DEST. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) INSTALL FUEL PUMP FAILURE WARNING LIGHTS ON ALL FUEL PUMPS. 2) INCORPORATE PROVISIONS ON THE FLT PLAN FOR RECORDING INDIVIDUAL TANK QUANTITY READINGS OVER CHKPOINTS VERSUS THE CURRENT POLICY OF USING ONLY TOTAL FUEL REMAINING. I FEEL THAT THESE 2 STEPS WOULD HELP TO CATCH THE FUEL FEED PROBS THAT DO OCCUR. THE FUEL ALERT LIGHT WOULD BE AN INSTANT INDICATION OF PUMP FAILURE FOR ANY REASON. CHANGING OUR FLT PLAN FORMAT WOULD FORCE A CLOSER READING OF INDIVIDUAL TANK GAUGES WHICH WOULD HELP TO OVERCOME THE REDUCED INFO DISPLAYED BY A DIGITAL GAUGE VERSUS AN ANALOG GAUGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FUEL PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKERS SOMETIMES 'TRIP INTERNALLY.' IT TRIPS AND THERE IS NO VISIBLE EVIDENCE IT HAS TRIPPED. THUS IT MUST BE 'PULLED AND RESET.' THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THE CTR BOOST PUMP IN THE PAST. AT THAT TIME, THE WING TANKS FEED THE ENGS UNTIL THEY RUN DRY AND THE FUEL IN THE CTR (LARGEST) TANK IS UNAVAILABLE. THERE IS NO PROC TO MAKE SURE THE CTR TANK IS FEEDING THE ENGS. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A DOUBLE FLAMEOUT WHICH WASN'T RESTARTED UNTIL ABOUT 4000 FT. RPTR CLAIMS THAT OTHER AIRLINES HAVE BOOST PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS INSTALLED BUT HIS CARRIER CHOSE NOT TO HAVE THEM INSTALLED. HE CLAIMS THE ACR BLAMES THE FLCS FOR THE PROB RATHER THAN ADMIT A PROB WITH THE ACFT AND SPENDING THE MONEY TO FIX IT.

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.