Narrative:

During climbout of dfw, we received two alerts indicating that two fuel pumps had faulted and been shut down by the automatic fuel system controller. We followed the checklist and pulled the circuit breakers for the pumps. All else was normal and we continued to destination while closely monitoring the fuel system for any other problems. All was normal until approximately 8000 ft descending into, when another alert came on indicating the number 3 bleed valve had faulted and been shut off. The automatic system reconfigured properly and we ran the checklist and continued to a normal landing. The next day we were informed that maintenance had found five wire bundles in the wing leading edge charred; one burned clear through, as well as three circuit breaker's popped on the rear circuit breaker panel we had no other indications in the cockpit and no indications of a possible electrical fire. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated initially the cause of the charred and burned wiring was unknown but was believed related to the faulted boost pumps. The reporter stated on a follow up recall that after checking with maintenance on the corrective action it was determined that the wires were charred and burned by maintenance during troubleshooting by resetting circuit breakers. The reporter said the maintenance explanation for the charred and burned wiring makes no sense but his was all the information maintenance allowed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the charred and burned wiring was unknown as maintenance has not advised the crew of the maintenance action taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MD11 ON CLIMB OUT AT 12000 FT HAD AN ALERT WARNING OF TWO FAULTED FUEL PUMPS. MAINT FOUND CHARRED AND BURNED WIRING IN RIGHT WING.

Narrative: DURING CLIMBOUT OF DFW, WE RECEIVED TWO ALERTS INDICATING THAT TWO FUEL PUMPS HAD FAULTED AND BEEN SHUT DOWN BY THE AUTOMATIC FUEL SYSTEM CTLR. WE FOLLOWED THE CHECKLIST AND PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR THE PUMPS. ALL ELSE WAS NORMAL AND WE CONTINUED TO DESTINATION WHILE CLOSELY MONITORING THE FUEL SYSTEM FOR ANY OTHER PROBLEMS. ALL WAS NORMAL UNTIL APPROX 8000 FT DESCENDING INTO, WHEN ANOTHER ALERT CAME ON INDICATING THE NUMBER 3 BLEED VALVE HAD FAULTED AND BEEN SHUT OFF. THE AUTO SYSTEM RECONFIGURED PROPERLY AND WE RAN THE CHECKLIST AND CONTINUED TO A NORMAL LANDING. THE NEXT DAY WE WERE INFORMED THAT MAINT HAD FOUND FIVE WIRE BUNDLES IN THE WING LEADING EDGE CHARRED; ONE BURNED CLEAR THROUGH, AS WELL AS THREE CB'S POPPED ON THE REAR CB PANEL WE HAD NO OTHER INDICATIONS IN THE COCKPIT AND NO INDICATIONS OF A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL FIRE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED INITIALLY THE CAUSE OF THE CHARRED AND BURNED WIRING WAS UNKNOWN BUT WAS BELIEVED RELATED TO THE FAULTED BOOST PUMPS. THE RPTR STATED ON A FOLLOW UP RECALL THAT AFTER CHECKING WITH MAINT ON THE CORRECTIVE ACTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WIRES WERE CHARRED AND BURNED BY MAINT DURING TROUBLESHOOTING BY RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THE RPTR SAID THE MAINT EXPLANATION FOR THE CHARRED AND BURNED WIRING MAKES NO SENSE BUT HIS WAS ALL THE INFO MAINT ALLOWED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE CHARRED AND BURNED WIRING WAS UNKNOWN AS MAINT HAS NOT ADVISED THE CREW OF THE MAINT ACTION TAKEN.

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.