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An air carrier MD80 flight crew had their fuel gauge's liquid crystal display go blank and two of their fuel boost pump circuit breakers opened. The flight crew diverted because of their concerns about possible future fuel imbalance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 398772 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : den |
| State Reference | CO |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 398772 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
The fuel quantity indicator malfunctioned on the ground in stl before departure and was replaced. In cruise, all digits in the indicator went blank at the same time and it was not possible to read the quantity in any tank. Shortly thereafter, the left main forward boost pump circuit breaker and the center aft boost pump circuit breaker both popped. It was not possible to reset them. Since it was likely that an unknown fuel distribution imbalance would develop it was decided to land short of destination and get the problem fixed. Commercial radio had trouble contacting the flight dispatch officer, so a decision was made to land at den. When the dispatcher did call, he was informed of the decision and asked to call den and let them know that we were inbound. The problem(south) were resolved in den and the flight proceeded on to phx.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR MD80 FLC HAD THEIR FUEL GAUGE'S LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY GO BLANK AND TWO OF THEIR FUEL BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKERS OPENED. THE FLC DIVERTED BECAUSE OF THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT POSSIBLE FUTURE FUEL IMBALANCE.
Narrative: THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR MALFUNCTIONED ON THE GND IN STL BEFORE DEP AND WAS REPLACED. IN CRUISE, ALL DIGITS IN THE INDICATOR WENT BLANK AT THE SAME TIME AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO READ THE QUANTITY IN ANY TANK. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE L MAIN FORWARD BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER AND THE CTR AFT BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER BOTH POPPED. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO RESET THEM. SINCE IT WAS LIKELY THAT AN UNKNOWN FUEL DISTRIBUTION IMBALANCE WOULD DEVELOP IT WAS DECIDED TO LAND SHORT OF DEST AND GET THE PROB FIXED. COMMERCIAL RADIO HAD TROUBLE CONTACTING THE FLT DISPATCH OFFICER, SO A DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND AT DEN. WHEN THE DISPATCHER DID CALL, HE WAS INFORMED OF THE DECISION AND ASKED TO CALL DEN AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE WERE INBOUND. THE PROB(S) WERE RESOLVED IN DEN AND THE FLT PROCEEDED ON TO PHX.
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.