A B727-200 with chronic history of boost pump circuit breakers tripping is dispatched on an overwate...

Attributes
ACN	498867
Time
Date	200101
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tnca.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sux.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 263 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 736
ASRS Report	498867
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : boost pump circuit breakers other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : person 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Backgnd: jan/fri/01. Day prior to my flight. Aircraft departed XXX. On takeoff roll, #2 right forward fuel boost pump circuit breaker popped. Later, #3 forward fuel boost pump circuit breaker popped. While dumping fuel to return XXX, all #2 and #3 tank fuel boost pump circuit breakers popped (6 total). Jan/sat/01, XA00 show time on 2 hour maintenance delay for jan/fri/01 problem. Maintenance claimed a bad lot of circuit breakers and replaced several. On takeoff roll runway 30L at XXX, #2 right forward fuel boost pump circuit breaker popped. On descent to ZZZ (a scheduled stop), #3 forward fuel boost pump circuit breaker popped. In ZZZ, maintenance replaced #3 forward fuel boost pump circuit breaker and placed #2 forward fuel boost pump on MEL. Captain called company vice president/operations and questioned whether we really wanted to send this aircraft to aruba (tnca). Vice president/operations said fly to aruba. Jan/sat/01, SF08, departed ZZZ for aruba. Operations normal till vicinity crb (approximately 1 hour 30 mins from aruba) while xfeeding from #2 tank to #1 engine to trim #1/#3 tank, #3 forward and aft fuel boost pump circuit breakers popped. I turned #3 switches off and placed all engines on #2 tank feed. Reported to captain, who said reset the circuit breakers. I said 'are you serious.' he said 'yes.' a 5 min discussion ensued. Captain felt company would do nothing to really fix problem. I felt we had to do the right thing or problem would never be fixed, first officer agreed. Captain is a check airman, kept insisting reset circuit breakers, and I felt we needed a plan of action, due potential for #3 engine flameout at altitude and so on. I reset aft #3 circuit breaker and turned switch on. No further problems. On ground at aruba, checked #3 engine would suction feed from #3 tank. With passenger off, I reset #3 forward fuel boost pump circuit breaker. Operations normal from aruba back to ZZZ.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 WITH CHRONIC HISTORY OF BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKERS TRIPPING IS DISPATCHED ON AN OVERWATER FLT WITH #2 FORWARD FUEL BOOST PUMP DEFERRED INOP. ENRTE #3 TANK PUMPS FORWARD AND AFT CIRCUIT BREAKERS TRIP.

Narrative: BACKGND: JAN/FRI/01. DAY PRIOR TO MY FLT. ACFT DEPARTED XXX. ON TKOF ROLL, #2 R FORWARD FUEL BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. LATER, #3 FORWARD FUEL BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. WHILE DUMPING FUEL TO RETURN XXX, ALL #2 AND #3 TANK FUEL BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED (6 TOTAL). JAN/SAT/01, XA00 SHOW TIME ON 2 HR MAINT DELAY FOR JAN/FRI/01 PROB. MAINT CLAIMED A BAD LOT OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND REPLACED SEVERAL. ON TKOF ROLL RWY 30L AT XXX, #2 R FORWARD FUEL BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. ON DSCNT TO ZZZ (A SCHEDULED STOP), #3 FORWARD FUEL BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. IN ZZZ, MAINT REPLACED #3 FORWARD FUEL BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER AND PLACED #2 FORWARD FUEL BOOST PUMP ON MEL. CAPT CALLED COMPANY VICE PRESIDENT/OPS AND QUESTIONED WHETHER WE REALLY WANTED TO SEND THIS ACFT TO ARUBA (TNCA). VICE PRESIDENT/OPS SAID FLY TO ARUBA. JAN/SAT/01, SF08, DEPARTED ZZZ FOR ARUBA. OPS NORMAL TILL VICINITY CRB (APPROX 1 HR 30 MINS FROM ARUBA) WHILE XFEEDING FROM #2 TANK TO #1 ENG TO TRIM #1/#3 TANK, #3 FORWARD AND AFT FUEL BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED. I TURNED #3 SWITCHES OFF AND PLACED ALL ENGS ON #2 TANK FEED. RPTED TO CAPT, WHO SAID RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS. I SAID 'ARE YOU SERIOUS.' HE SAID 'YES.' A 5 MIN DISCUSSION ENSUED. CAPT FELT COMPANY WOULD DO NOTHING TO REALLY FIX PROB. I FELT WE HAD TO DO THE RIGHT THING OR PROB WOULD NEVER BE FIXED, FO AGREED. CAPT IS A CHK AIRMAN, KEPT INSISTING RESET CIRCUIT BREAKERS, AND I FELT WE NEEDED A PLAN OF ACTION, DUE POTENTIAL FOR #3 ENG FLAMEOUT AT ALT AND SO ON. I RESET AFT #3 CIRCUIT BREAKER AND TURNED SWITCH ON. NO FURTHER PROBS. ON GND AT ARUBA, CHKED #3 ENG WOULD SUCTION FEED FROM #3 TANK. WITH PAX OFF, I RESET #3 FORWARD FUEL BOOST PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER. OPS NORMAL FROM ARUBA BACK TO ZZZ.

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.

A B727-200 with chronic history of boost pump circuit breakers tripping is dispatched on an overwater flight with #2 forward fuel boost pump deferred inoperative. En route #3 tank pumps forward and aft circuit breakers trip.