C-152 pilot had a fuel leak in the cockpit after takeoff at M54.

Attributes
ACN	509882
Time
Date	200104
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : m54.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pah.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	509882
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On takeoff, while climbing trough 50' AGL, I noticed a fairly substantial fuel leak coming from the ceiling of the airplane (C152). I immediately turned downwind at 50-200' AGL and made an emergency return for landing. Landing was uneventful and fuel appeared to be coming from the fuel vent line connecting the 2 tanks which runs thru the cabin.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C-152 PLT HAD A FUEL LEAK IN THE COCKPIT AFTER TKOF AT M54.

Narrative: ON TAKEOFF, WHILE CLIMBING TROUGH 50' AGL, I NOTICED A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL FUEL LEAK COMING FROM THE CEILING OF THE AIRPLANE (C152). I IMMEDIATELY TURNED DOWNWIND AT 50-200' AGL AND MADE AN EMERGENCY RETURN FOR LANDING. LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL AND FUEL APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE FUEL VENT LINE CONNECTING THE 2 TANKS WHICH RUNS THRU THE CABIN.

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.