A DC10 flight crew declared an emergency and diverted after they discovered uncommanded fuel dumping...

Attributes
ACN	326060
Time
Date	199601
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	326060
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 9600 flight time type : 230
ASRS Report	326062
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft started dumping fuel on its own. Had to determine the source of depletion of fuel in tank #1. So departed cockpit with flashlight and determined definitely that fuel was departing through the left wing dump nozzle. Normal fuel dumping was started down to aircraft maximum landing weight. Upon termination of dumping fuel, now the left wing nozzle closed properly. Landed without reversing engine #1 because we were not sure if we could have had another leak in the left engine area. Fire department determined there were no other leaks on left side of aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: during climb out on a flight to london, the reporter (captain) noticed that the blue fill light on the flight engineer's panel was continuously illuminated (continuous fuel transfer), but all engines were using equal fuel. Reporter states that no airline has a cockpit procedure for this situation. The captain sent the so to the back of the aircraft with a flashlight and the so discovered that a mass of fuel was being dumped from the left wing dump nozzle when he peered through the cabin windows. The flight attendants were told to cancel service and standby for further information. An emergency was declared, and fuel was dumped to meet maximum landing weight. The flight was diverted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10 FLC DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED AFTER THEY DISCOVERED UNCOMMANDED FUEL DUMPING THROUGH THE L WING DUMP NOZZLE. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE NOTIFIED AND NORMAL FUEL DUMPING PROC WERE FOLLOWED TO COMPLY WITH MAX LNDG WT.

Narrative: ACFT STARTED DUMPING FUEL ON ITS OWN. HAD TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF DEPLETION OF FUEL IN TANK #1. SO DEPARTED COCKPIT WITH FLASHLIGHT AND DETERMINED DEFINITELY THAT FUEL WAS DEPARTING THROUGH THE L WING DUMP NOZZLE. NORMAL FUEL DUMPING WAS STARTED DOWN TO ACFT MAX LNDG WT. UPON TERMINATION OF DUMPING FUEL, NOW THE L WING NOZZLE CLOSED PROPERLY. LANDED WITHOUT REVERSING ENG #1 BECAUSE WE WERE NOT SURE IF WE COULD HAVE HAD ANOTHER LEAK IN THE L ENG AREA. FIRE DEPT DETERMINED THERE WERE NO OTHER LEAKS ON L SIDE OF ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DURING CLBOUT ON A FLT TO LONDON, THE RPTR (CAPT) NOTICED THAT THE BLUE FILL LIGHT ON THE FE'S PANEL WAS CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED (CONTINUOUS FUEL TRANSFER), BUT ALL ENGS WERE USING EQUAL FUEL. RPTR STATES THAT NO AIRLINE HAS A COCKPIT PROC FOR THIS SIT. THE CAPT SENT THE SO TO THE BACK OF THE ACFT WITH A FLASHLIGHT AND THE SO DISCOVERED THAT A MASS OF FUEL WAS BEING DUMPED FROM THE L WING DUMP NOZZLE WHEN HE PEERED THROUGH THE CABIN WINDOWS. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE TOLD TO CANCEL SVC AND STANDBY FOR FURTHER INFO. AN EMER WAS DECLARED, AND FUEL WAS DUMPED TO MEET MAX LNDG WT. THE FLT WAS DIVERTED.

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.

A DC10 flight crew declared an emergency and diverted after they discovered uncommanded fuel dumping through the left wing dump nozzle. Flight attendants were notified and normal fuel dumping procedure were followed to comply with maximum landing weight.