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A B727-200 in cruise at FL330 declared an emergency and diverted due to #1 and #3 engine surging caused by a malfunctioning #2 tank xfeed valve.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 435338 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199904 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mem.airport |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl single value : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme.artcc tower : fat.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j35.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 435338 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial |
| ASRS Report | 435178 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : engine fuel flow indicator other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : fault isolation |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
Having been at cruise altitude, FL330, for approximately 10 mins, the #1 engine started surging along with a flashing fuel ice light. Fuel temperature was +12 degrees C. Our fuel confign had been xfeeding from #2 tank with all xfeeds open. This confign had been maintained since the after takeoff clean-up checklist. Upon the first engine surging, the flight engineer returned to tank to engine confign. While still addressing the #1 engine surging, the #3 engine started to surge. An emergency was declared with ATC and we diverted to mem. After gate arrival, we remembered a previous write-up on the #2 xfeed valve being intermittent. We were able to duplicate that same problem. It would appear failure of the #2 xfeed valve was the cause of our problem. The previous signoff concerning the #2 xfeed valve was that it was operated several times and operations check normal.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B727-200 IN CRUISE AT FL330 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO #1 AND #3 ENG SURGING CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTIONING #2 TANK XFEED VALVE.
Narrative: HAVING BEEN AT CRUISE ALT, FL330, FOR APPROX 10 MINS, THE #1 ENG STARTED SURGING ALONG WITH A FLASHING FUEL ICE LIGHT. FUEL TEMP WAS +12 DEGS C. OUR FUEL CONFIGN HAD BEEN XFEEDING FROM #2 TANK WITH ALL XFEEDS OPEN. THIS CONFIGN HAD BEEN MAINTAINED SINCE THE AFTER TKOF CLEAN-UP CHKLIST. UPON THE FIRST ENG SURGING, THE FE RETURNED TO TANK TO ENG CONFIGN. WHILE STILL ADDRESSING THE #1 ENG SURGING, THE #3 ENG STARTED TO SURGE. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ATC AND WE DIVERTED TO MEM. AFTER GATE ARR, WE REMEMBERED A PREVIOUS WRITE-UP ON THE #2 XFEED VALVE BEING INTERMITTENT. WE WERE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THAT SAME PROB. IT WOULD APPEAR FAILURE OF THE #2 XFEED VALVE WAS THE CAUSE OF OUR PROB. THE PREVIOUS SIGNOFF CONCERNING THE #2 XFEED VALVE WAS THAT IT WAS OPERATED SEVERAL TIMES AND OPS CHK NORMAL.
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.