B737-200 crew noticed a fuel imbal during flight. Conferred with air carrier maintenance and dispatcher. Flew direct to atl, preferential handling from the center. Postflt inspection showed a fuel leak on #1 engine. Observation of leak delayed by passenger problems.

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Attributes
ACN	371510
Time
Date	199706
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : odf
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	enroute 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 : 40 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	371510
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 640
ASRS Report	371699
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After a position report to company, captain initiated a fuel xfeed from right tank to left engine for the second time during flight. Crew noticed a discrepancy between current fuel quantity and estimated fuel quantity remaining. Crew contacted company dispatcher and maintenance for their input. Aircraft had no history of any fuel gauge problems. Crew calculated fuel burn to atl and received preferential handling by ATC. Crew elected to have fire trucks dispatched. Landing was uneventful. At the gate, maintenance confirmed a fuel leak on the #1 engine. As a side note, crew's attention was distraction by a sick passenger and numerous advisories by flight attendants as to her status. Several ACARS messages were subsequently sent to company by the crew regarding this sick passenger prior to noticing possible fuel leak. Supplemental information from acn 371699: we requested a direct routing to atl from ATC (who had been advised of our situation via our dispatcher). Lesson learned: check your fuel at each position report! That is what we did, which led us to the discovery of the fuel discrepancy.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 CREW NOTICED A FUEL IMBAL DURING FLT. CONFERRED WITH ACR MAINT AND DISPATCHER. FLEW DIRECT TO ATL, PREFERENTIAL HANDLING FROM THE CTR. POSTFLT INSPECTION SHOWED A FUEL LEAK ON #1 ENG. OBSERVATION OF LEAK DELAYED BY PAX PROBS.

Narrative: AFTER A POS RPT TO COMPANY, CAPT INITIATED A FUEL XFEED FROM R TANK TO L ENG FOR THE SECOND TIME DURING FLT. CREW NOTICED A DISCREPANCY BTWN CURRENT FUEL QUANTITY AND ESTIMATED FUEL QUANTITY REMAINING. CREW CONTACTED COMPANY DISPATCHER AND MAINT FOR THEIR INPUT. ACFT HAD NO HISTORY OF ANY FUEL GAUGE PROBS. CREW CALCULATED FUEL BURN TO ATL AND RECEIVED PREFERENTIAL HANDLING BY ATC. CREW ELECTED TO HAVE FIRE TRUCKS DISPATCHED. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AT THE GATE, MAINT CONFIRMED A FUEL LEAK ON THE #1 ENG. AS A SIDE NOTE, CREW'S ATTN WAS DISTR BY A SICK PAX AND NUMEROUS ADVISORIES BY FLT ATTENDANTS AS TO HER STATUS. SEVERAL ACARS MESSAGES WERE SUBSEQUENTLY SENT TO COMPANY BY THE CREW REGARDING THIS SICK PAX PRIOR TO NOTICING POSSIBLE FUEL LEAK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 371699: WE REQUESTED A DIRECT ROUTING TO ATL FROM ATC (WHO HAD BEEN ADVISED OF OUR SIT VIA OUR DISPATCHER). LESSON LEARNED: CHK YOUR FUEL AT EACH POS RPT! THAT IS WHAT WE DID, WHICH LED US TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE FUEL DISCREPANCY.

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.