Flight crew of a B727 defueled aircraft after fuel vented out the right wing during pushback and then refilled to a lower level causing the insufficient fuel in the wings when the fuselage tank was full.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	435070
Time
Date	199904
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	435070
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 7900 flight time type : 4700
ASRS Report	435353
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel venting on ramp other other : 4
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On pushback, our right wing tank vented fuel out the surge tank to the ramp. Wing tanks were full. We returned to gate, attempted to burn some fuel from the right side, and pushed again, spilling fuel again through the vent to the ramp. After exhaustive coordination with maintenance control, dispatch and on-site maintenance, we defueled to a level on the right side which allows fuel from the full and venting surge tank to empty into its adjacent tank. We refueled to a revised dispatch level electing to not completely fill the tank. Discovered upon research after our trip days later that by conservatively refueling the right side to avoid fuel venting we were not in compliance with a certain fuel limitation. The limit specifies that #3 (right tank) and #1 (left tank) should be full when the center tank is full, which it nearly was. Chain of events: on-site maintenance suggested this lighter fuel load on the right side, we ran it past our dispatch and central load planning and we all missed it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B727 DEFUELED ACFT AFTER FUEL VENTED OUT THE R WING DURING PUSHBACK AND THEN REFILLED TO A LOWER LEVEL CAUSING THE INSUFFICIENT FUEL IN THE WINGS WHEN THE FUSELAGE TANK WAS FULL.

Narrative: ON PUSHBACK, OUR R WING TANK VENTED FUEL OUT THE SURGE TANK TO THE RAMP. WING TANKS WERE FULL. WE RETURNED TO GATE, ATTEMPTED TO BURN SOME FUEL FROM THE R SIDE, AND PUSHED AGAIN, SPILLING FUEL AGAIN THROUGH THE VENT TO THE RAMP. AFTER EXHAUSTIVE COORD WITH MAINT CTL, DISPATCH AND ON-SITE MAINT, WE DEFUELED TO A LEVEL ON THE R SIDE WHICH ALLOWS FUEL FROM THE FULL AND VENTING SURGE TANK TO EMPTY INTO ITS ADJACENT TANK. WE REFUELED TO A REVISED DISPATCH LEVEL ELECTING TO NOT COMPLETELY FILL THE TANK. DISCOVERED UPON RESEARCH AFTER OUR TRIP DAYS LATER THAT BY CONSERVATIVELY REFUELING THE R SIDE TO AVOID FUEL VENTING WE WERE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH A CERTAIN FUEL LIMITATION. THE LIMIT SPECIFIES THAT #3 (R TANK) AND #1 (L TANK) SHOULD BE FULL WHEN THE CTR TANK IS FULL, WHICH IT NEARLY WAS. CHAIN OF EVENTS: ON-SITE MAINT SUGGESTED THIS LIGHTER FUEL LOAD ON THE R SIDE, WE RAN IT PAST OUR DISPATCH AND CENTRAL LOAD PLANNING AND WE ALL MISSED IT.

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.