MD80 crew took off with an extreme fuel imbal in the right main fuel tank.

Attributes
ACN	478568
Time
Date	200007
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdu.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	478568
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : testing
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Fuel imbal. During the rotation phase of the takeoff roll, the right fuel tank quantity indicator went from reading 9100 pounds to 2700 pounds. I was the PF and it felt like I had an engine failure because of the extreme fuel imbal. We flew a wide pattern around rdu for about 40 mins while we burned down the fuel in the left main tank so that we landed with 3000 pounds in the left and right tanks respectively. Extreme flight control inputs were needed to fly the airplane until we balanced the wings. Who checked this or inspected this before the flight? This was a repeat discrepancy.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW TOOK OFF WITH AN EXTREME FUEL IMBAL IN THE R MAIN FUEL TANK.

Narrative: FUEL IMBAL. DURING THE ROTATION PHASE OF THE TKOF ROLL, THE R FUEL TANK QUANTITY INDICATOR WENT FROM READING 9100 LBS TO 2700 LBS. I WAS THE PF AND IT FELT LIKE I HAD AN ENG FAILURE BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME FUEL IMBAL. WE FLEW A WIDE PATTERN AROUND RDU FOR ABOUT 40 MINS WHILE WE BURNED DOWN THE FUEL IN THE L MAIN TANK SO THAT WE LANDED WITH 3000 LBS IN THE L AND R TANKS RESPECTIVELY. EXTREME FLT CTL INPUTS WERE NEEDED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE UNTIL WE BALANCED THE WINGS. WHO CHKED THIS OR INSPECTED THIS BEFORE THE FLT? THIS WAS A REPEAT 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.