 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A FK100 flight crew report on the procedure used to verify a center fuel tank having to be checked as empty when the indicator is MEL'ed, XXX, us.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 514131 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200106 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Fokker 100 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 513919 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other other : gnd crew 3 (maint supr) |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Company Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Company |
| Situations | |
| Publication | MEL |
Narrative:
Center fuel tank quantity indicator placard inoperative. MEL 28-xx states center tank must be verified empty. Suggest it be clarified to say either prior to every flight or prior to first flight with this condition. Since verification of empty center tank had been entered in log, after initial problem 4 days earlier and several flts occurred without any further entries, the captain believed no further action was required. We were surprised the maintenance base had arranged for maintenance to verify center tank empty. The captain called the maintenance base to confirm that verification was required prior to every flight. ZZZ maintenance did not verify it empty prior to this flight and evidently it had not been done for 4 prior days either. Also, maintenance verification includes turning on center tank pumps and waiting for low pressure lights. Some mechanics were unaware of 15 min delay on the F100 to get the lights. This could be added to MEL procedures to save time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A FK100 FLC RPT ON THE PROC USED TO VERIFY A CTR FUEL TANK HAVING TO BE CHKED AS EMPTY WHEN THE INDICATOR IS MEL'ED, XXX, US.
Narrative: CTR FUEL TANK QUANTITY INDICATOR PLACARD INOP. MEL 28-XX STATES CTR TANK MUST BE VERIFIED EMPTY. SUGGEST IT BE CLARIFIED TO SAY EITHER PRIOR TO EVERY FLT OR PRIOR TO FIRST FLT WITH THIS CONDITION. SINCE VERIFICATION OF EMPTY CTR TANK HAD BEEN ENTERED IN LOG, AFTER INITIAL PROB 4 DAYS EARLIER AND SEVERAL FLTS OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ENTRIES, THE CAPT BELIEVED NO FURTHER ACTION WAS REQUIRED. WE WERE SURPRISED THE MAINT BASE HAD ARRANGED FOR MAINT TO VERIFY CTR TANK EMPTY. THE CAPT CALLED THE MAINT BASE TO CONFIRM THAT VERIFICATION WAS REQUIRED PRIOR TO EVERY FLT. ZZZ MAINT DID NOT VERIFY IT EMPTY PRIOR TO THIS FLT AND EVIDENTLY IT HAD NOT BEEN DONE FOR 4 PRIOR DAYS EITHER. ALSO, MAINT VERIFICATION INCLUDES TURNING ON CTR TANK PUMPS AND WAITING FOR LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS. SOME MECHS WERE UNAWARE OF 15 MIN DELAY ON THE F100 TO GET THE LIGHTS. THIS COULD BE ADDED TO MEL PROCS TO SAVE TIME.
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.