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A319 flight crew could not balance fuel within limits causing them to divert to another airport to land in an emergency condition. A319 flight crew observes fuel imbal during flight. Attempts to balance fuel using proper procedures fail. Fuel imbal becomes critical, flight crew diverts, declaring an emergency.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 546730 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200205 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | msl single value : 25000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A319 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 546730 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity indicators other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
During climb, noticed 1000 pound fuel imbal between wing tanks. Applied proper fuel balancing procedures. Problem worsened and began to fill center tank (thought to be impossible). Requested immediate leveloff, diversion to pit, and declared emergency. All normal and abnormal checklists were accomplished. Landed uneventfully on pit's longest runway with a 5000 pounds imbal (1000 pounds is limit) and overweight. ATC assistance throughout was outstanding. Learned from maintenance that a fuel pump overpressure valve had ruptured.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A319 FLC COULD NOT BAL FUEL WITHIN LIMITS CAUSING THEM TO DIVERT TO ANOTHER ARPT TO LAND IN AN EMER CONDITION. A319 FLC OBSERVES FUEL IMBAL DURING FLT. ATTEMPTS TO BAL FUEL USING PROPER PROCS FAIL. FUEL IMBAL BECOMES CRITICAL, FLC DIVERTS, DECLARING AN EMER.
Narrative: DURING CLB, NOTICED 1000 LB FUEL IMBAL BTWN WING TANKS. APPLIED PROPER FUEL BALANCING PROCS. PROB WORSENED AND BEGAN TO FILL CTR TANK (THOUGHT TO BE IMPOSSIBLE). REQUESTED IMMEDIATE LEVELOFF, DIVERSION TO PIT, AND DECLARED EMER. ALL NORMAL AND ABNORMAL CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ON PIT'S LONGEST RWY WITH A 5000 LBS IMBAL (1000 LBS IS LIMIT) AND OVERWEIGHT. ATC ASSISTANCE THROUGHOUT WAS OUTSTANDING. LEARNED FROM MAINT THAT A FUEL PUMP OVERPRESSURE VALVE HAD RUPTURED.
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.