Fuel imbal on takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	294972
Time
Date	199501
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cle
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	294972
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

At rotation, fuel lamp on mode annunciator panel lit and first officer rotated aircraft. Aircraft banked left and first officer corrected with control input similar to power loss and engine failure. Checked engine gauges and all appeared normal. Climbed out and did after takeoff checklist. I asked for control of aircraft to see if we had a control problem. I thought we might have a stuck or broken trim tab, control disconnect or similar. First officer checked cockpit and discovered a fuel imbal of 1700 pounds, left wing heavy. Aircraft response improved with airspeed. Returned for landing at cle. Maintenance opened refueling panel and found right defueling valve open. This allowed transfer of fuel from right wing to left wing tank. Aircraft was fueled, passenger boarded, receiving check, weight and balance and before start check were all completed within 5 mins of departure from gate. Fuel was checked 3 times in this 5 min period and all looked normal with a 2000/2000 pounds split between tanks. Transfer occurred during the 15 min taxi from gate to being #1 for takeoff. On the before takeoff check, there is no check fuel item. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is flying the brasilia.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL IMBAL ON TKOF.

Narrative: AT ROTATION, FUEL LAMP ON MODE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL LIT AND FO ROTATED ACFT. ACFT BANKED L AND FO CORRECTED WITH CTL INPUT SIMILAR TO PWR LOSS AND ENG FAILURE. CHKED ENG GAUGES AND ALL APPEARED NORMAL. CLBED OUT AND DID AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. I ASKED FOR CTL OF ACFT TO SEE IF WE HAD A CTL PROB. I THOUGHT WE MIGHT HAVE A STUCK OR BROKEN TRIM TAB, CTL DISCONNECT OR SIMILAR. FO CHKED COCKPIT AND DISCOVERED A FUEL IMBAL OF 1700 LBS, L WING HVY. ACFT RESPONSE IMPROVED WITH AIRSPD. RETURNED FOR LNDG AT CLE. MAINT OPENED REFUELING PANEL AND FOUND R DEFUELING VALVE OPEN. THIS ALLOWED TRANSFER OF FUEL FROM R WING TO L WING TANK. ACFT WAS FUELED, PAX BOARDED, RECEIVING CHK, WT AND BAL AND BEFORE START CHK WERE ALL COMPLETED WITHIN 5 MINS OF DEP FROM GATE. FUEL WAS CHKED 3 TIMES IN THIS 5 MIN PERIOD AND ALL LOOKED NORMAL WITH A 2000/2000 LBS SPLIT BTWN TANKS. TRANSFER OCCURRED DURING THE 15 MIN TAXI FROM GATE TO BEING #1 FOR TKOF. ON THE BEFORE TKOF CHK, THERE IS NO CHK FUEL ITEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS FLYING THE BRASILIA.

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.