An air carrier medium large transport took off, flew, and landed with an out of limits fuel imbal.

Attributes
ACN	269752
Time
Date	199404
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga airport : pit
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 195 flight time total : 17000
ASRS Report	269752
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After xfeeding fuel on taxi-out due to extended operation with one engine due to delay, fuel xfeed left open for the takeoff and climb. Difficulty in trimming aircraft led to discovery of a 4000 pound fuel imbal. Xfeed operation cut imbal to 2800 pounds by landing at pit. Landing in pit with clear skies and calm wind was normal with fuel panel configured normally for landing. Crew receiving aircraft in pit and fueler were informed of imbal and that a normal landing was made and that all fuel gauges and xfeed valve worked normally. No logbook write up was made as there was no discrepancy. Aircraft left gate with 15000 pounds of fuel (7500 each wing tank), and arrived in pit with 8000 pounds (5400 in left tank and 2600 in right tank). Maximum imbal allowed by pilot handbook is 1000 pound. Limit is same for all phases of flight. Failure to close xfeed on ground due to distrs caused by aircraft sequencing. Suggest xfeed operations on ground be avoided (discouraged) unless near 1000 pound imbal limit. There is no cockpit warning for xfeed valve. This was a human mistake.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG TOOK OFF, FLEW, AND LANDED WITH AN OUT OF LIMITS FUEL IMBAL.

Narrative: AFTER XFEEDING FUEL ON TAXI-OUT DUE TO EXTENDED OP WITH ONE ENG DUE TO DELAY, FUEL XFEED LEFT OPEN FOR THE TKOF AND CLB. DIFFICULTY IN TRIMMING ACFT LED TO DISCOVERY OF A 4000 LB FUEL IMBAL. XFEED OP CUT IMBAL TO 2800 LBS BY LNDG AT PIT. LNDG IN PIT WITH CLR SKIES AND CALM WIND WAS NORMAL WITH FUEL PANEL CONFIGURED NORMALLY FOR LNDG. CREW RECEIVING ACFT IN PIT AND FUELER WERE INFORMED OF IMBAL AND THAT A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE AND THAT ALL FUEL GAUGES AND XFEED VALVE WORKED NORMALLY. NO LOGBOOK WRITE UP WAS MADE AS THERE WAS NO DISCREPANCY. ACFT LEFT GATE WITH 15000 LBS OF FUEL (7500 EACH WING TANK), AND ARRIVED IN PIT WITH 8000 LBS (5400 IN L TANK AND 2600 IN R TANK). MAX IMBAL ALLOWED BY PLT HANDBOOK IS 1000 LB. LIMIT IS SAME FOR ALL PHASES OF FLT. FAILURE TO CLOSE XFEED ON GND DUE TO DISTRS CAUSED BY ACFT SEQUENCING. SUGGEST XFEED OPS ON GND BE AVOIDED (DISCOURAGED) UNLESS NEAR 1000 LB IMBAL LIMIT. THERE IS NO COCKPIT WARNING FOR XFEED VALVE. THIS WAS A HUMAN MISTAKE.

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.