Checklist use. Aircraft equipment operating procedure. Air carrier flight crew does not notice that ...

Attributes
ACN	310590
Time
Date	199507
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	310590
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	310591
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Fuel imbal. Aircraft delivered to gate from hangar by maintenance approximately 40 mins prior to departure. Accomplished preflight and before start checklists and did not notice the fuel xfeed lever in the on position. Fuel checks were accomplished on climb out and initial cruise with normal fuel gauge readings. The later part of cruise was busy with altitude changes and WX deviations. On descent into phx while accomplishing descent checklist items, first officer noticed fuel xfeed lever in the on position. First officer brought this to my attention and we both noticed the fuel imbal on the main tank gauges. Left main was 1700 pounds and right main was 8200 pounds. We immediately accomplished the QRH procedure for xfeed operation in-flight to correct the imbal. After discussion with first officer we requested holding airspace from phx approach control and notified phx operations of our delay. Phx operations contacted tulsa technician per my request. Phx operations relayed our fuel imbal problem. Technician requested to speak directly with us via arinc. I established arinc radio contact with technician and they advised landing with fuel within limits by burning down. We acknowledged and notified ATC of our intention to hold for 35 mins to resolve a fuel imbal problem. Advised phx operations of same. We planned to commence the approach and land with fuel within balance limits and with better than reserve fuel. We accomplished a normal approach/landing at phx and taxied to gate. After review, we noticed the white high visibility X on the xfeed lever was very dirty, decreasing its visibility. This may have contributed to the lever not being noticed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHKLIST USE. ACFT EQUIP OPERATING PROC. ACR FLC DOES NOT NOTICE THAT THE FUEL XFEED IS OPEN UNTIL THE FUEL IS WELL OUT OF BAL LIMITS.

Narrative: FUEL IMBAL. ACFT DELIVERED TO GATE FROM HANGAR BY MAINT APPROX 40 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. ACCOMPLISHED PREFLT AND BEFORE START CHKLISTS AND DID NOT NOTICE THE FUEL XFEED LEVER IN THE ON POS. FUEL CHKS WERE ACCOMPLISHED ON CLBOUT AND INITIAL CRUISE WITH NORMAL FUEL GAUGE READINGS. THE LATER PART OF CRUISE WAS BUSY WITH ALT CHANGES AND WX DEVS. ON DSCNT INTO PHX WHILE ACCOMPLISHING DSCNT CHKLIST ITEMS, FO NOTICED FUEL XFEED LEVER IN THE ON POS. FO BROUGHT THIS TO MY ATTN AND WE BOTH NOTICED THE FUEL IMBAL ON THE MAIN TANK GAUGES. L MAIN WAS 1700 LBS AND R MAIN WAS 8200 LBS. WE IMMEDIATELY ACCOMPLISHED THE QRH PROC FOR XFEED OP INFLT TO CORRECT THE IMBAL. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH FO WE REQUESTED HOLDING AIRSPACE FROM PHX APCH CTL AND NOTIFIED PHX OPS OF OUR DELAY. PHX OPS CONTACTED TULSA TECHNICIAN PER MY REQUEST. PHX OPS RELAYED OUR FUEL IMBAL PROB. TECHNICIAN REQUESTED TO SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH US VIA ARINC. I ESTABLISHED ARINC RADIO CONTACT WITH TECHNICIAN AND THEY ADVISED LNDG WITH FUEL WITHIN LIMITS BY BURNING DOWN. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND NOTIFIED ATC OF OUR INTENTION TO HOLD FOR 35 MINS TO RESOLVE A FUEL IMBAL PROB. ADVISED PHX OPS OF SAME. WE PLANNED TO COMMENCE THE APCH AND LAND WITH FUEL WITHIN BAL LIMITS AND WITH BETTER THAN RESERVE FUEL. WE ACCOMPLISHED A NORMAL APCH/LNDG AT PHX AND TAXIED TO GATE. AFTER REVIEW, WE NOTICED THE WHITE HIGH VISIBILITY X ON THE XFEED LEVER WAS VERY DIRTY, DECREASING ITS VISIBILITY. THIS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE LEVER NOT BEING NOTICED.

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.

Checklist use. Aircraft equipment operating procedure. Air carrier flight crew does not notice that the fuel xfeed is open until the fuel is well out of balance limits.