Narrative:

On flight xyz from ZZZ to stl approximately over spi, crew observed fuel imbalance of nearly 150 pounds (right tank heavy). Initiated standard xfeed operations from heavy right tank to engines. After approximately 6 mins, crew observed increasing fuel level in left tank and right tank now entering low level caution area. To prevent fuel starvation, immediately reversed xfeed. This attempt was unsuccessful. Due to fuel starvation, the right engine began to negative torque signal and crew performed in-flight engine shutdown. Attempted to change stuck fuel valve position by resetting stop/feather lever. This action appeared successful and fuel level then began to increase in right tank, at which time crew performed a successful in-flight engine relight. Contacted ATC and company flight control to declare an emergency. Then contacted company maintenance control to advise them of the situation (they affirmed our assessment of a stuck fuel valve). Continued to stl and landed without further incident. The jetstream 31 has non-return fuel valves incorporated into its fuel system, one for each fuel tank which are supposed to prevent fuel xfer from tank to tank (either right to left or left to right). Both valves failed to operate properly on this flight. Our maintenance department is well aware of this situation yet no preventive measures have been taken to prevent its occurrence. Earlier valve replacement or use of a better quality valve would have prevented this entire incident from occurring. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was on descent into stl when right tank quantity was indicating the right tank 150 pounds greater than left tank. The reporter said the standard procedure was used to balance the fuel load by opening the xfeed valve and feeding both engines from the right tank. Shortly it was noted the left tank quantity was increasing and the right tank was at the low level caution area. The reporter stated the right engine was shut down to prevent fuel starvation. The reporter stated this airplane is not configured for tank to tank fuel xfer but only for tank to engine feed. The reporter said the failure was both left and right 'non-return' valves failed to open allowing tank to tank xfer. The reporter said this check valve or 'non-return' valve failure is common but is not being addressed. The reporter said resetting the stop/feather lever really did not correct the situation.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BAE JETSTREAM 3102 EXPERIENCED UNWANTED AND UNCTLED FUEL XFER FROM THE R TANK TO THE L TANK CAUSING SHUTDOWN OF THE R ENG. NORMAL FUEL FEED CONFIGN FOR THIS ACFT IS TANK TO ENG ONLY.

Narrative: ON FLT XYZ FROM ZZZ TO STL APPROX OVER SPI, CREW OBSERVED FUEL IMBALANCE OF NEARLY 150 LBS (R TANK HVY). INITIATED STANDARD XFEED OPS FROM HVY R TANK TO ENGS. AFTER APPROX 6 MINS, CREW OBSERVED INCREASING FUEL LEVEL IN L TANK AND R TANK NOW ENTERING LOW LEVEL CAUTION AREA. TO PREVENT FUEL STARVATION, IMMEDIATELY REVERSED XFEED. THIS ATTEMPT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, THE R ENG BEGAN TO NEGATIVE TORQUE SIGNAL AND CREW PERFORMED INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN. ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE STUCK FUEL VALVE POS BY RESETTING STOP/FEATHER LEVER. THIS ACTION APPEARED SUCCESSFUL AND FUEL LEVEL THEN BEGAN TO INCREASE IN R TANK, AT WHICH TIME CREW PERFORMED A SUCCESSFUL INFLT ENG RELIGHT. CONTACTED ATC AND COMPANY FLT CTL TO DECLARE AN EMER. THEN CONTACTED COMPANY MAINT CTL TO ADVISE THEM OF THE SIT (THEY AFFIRMED OUR ASSESSMENT OF A STUCK FUEL VALVE). CONTINUED TO STL AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE JETSTREAM 31 HAS NON-RETURN FUEL VALVES INCORPORATED INTO ITS FUEL SYS, ONE FOR EACH FUEL TANK WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO PREVENT FUEL XFER FROM TANK TO TANK (EITHER R TO L OR L TO R). BOTH VALVES FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY ON THIS FLT. OUR MAINT DEPT IS WELL AWARE OF THIS SIT YET NO PREVENTIVE MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO PREVENT ITS OCCURRENCE. EARLIER VALVE REPLACEMENT OR USE OF A BETTER QUALITY VALVE WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT FROM OCCURRING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS ON DSCNT INTO STL WHEN R TANK QUANTITY WAS INDICATING THE R TANK 150 LBS GREATER THAN L TANK. THE RPTR SAID THE STANDARD PROC WAS USED TO BAL THE FUEL LOAD BY OPENING THE XFEED VALVE AND FEEDING BOTH ENGS FROM THE R TANK. SHORTLY IT WAS NOTED THE L TANK QUANTITY WAS INCREASING AND THE R TANK WAS AT THE LOW LEVEL CAUTION AREA. THE RPTR STATED THE R ENG WAS SHUT DOWN TO PREVENT FUEL STARVATION. THE RPTR STATED THIS AIRPLANE IS NOT CONFIGURED FOR TANK TO TANK FUEL XFER BUT ONLY FOR TANK TO ENG FEED. THE RPTR SAID THE FAILURE WAS BOTH L AND R 'NON-RETURN' VALVES FAILED TO OPEN ALLOWING TANK TO TANK XFER. THE RPTR SAID THIS CHK VALVE OR 'NON-RETURN' VALVE FAILURE IS COMMON BUT IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED. THE RPTR SAID RESETTING THE STOP/FEATHER LEVER REALLY DID NOT CORRECT THE SIT.

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.