A swearingen 227-4 used approved fuel xfer method of taxiing in circles at a slow walk. FAA safety i...

Attributes
ACN	565824
Time
Date	200211
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sff.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SA-227 AC Metro III
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 192 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	565824
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity indicator other other : faa safety insp person 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	FAA

Narrative:

Pilot required to xfer fuel due to fuel imbal. Procedure accepted for non mechanical xfer by company and manufacturer is to taxi in circular revolutions to use centrifugal energy to force fuel from 1 tank to other tank. Pilot performed this procedure with approval from sff ground, remained in communication with sff ground frequency. Pilot used person to spot/view procedure. Pilot performed procedure at base of control tower, in view of controller in most well lit open area of airport. FAA viewed procedure and after completion of procedure approached pilot with questions of safety regarding this procedure. To reiterate: 1) procedure in question -- fuel xfer by centrifugal force during taxi operations. 2) company and manufacturer approved procedure. 3) pilot obtained tower approval and remained in radio communication throughout procedure. 4) pilot utilized spotter for procedure. 5) pilot utilized largest open space available on airport -- 100 yards by 75 yards. 6) pilot performed procedure with 11 turns. 7) taxi speed, fast walk. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated when summoned to the local FAA FSDO and meeting with the manager, all issues regarding safety violations were dropped. The reporter said the fuel xfer procedure was explained to the manager and the safety precautions that were taken resulted in all charges being dropped.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SWEARINGEN 227-4 USED APPROVED FUEL XFER METHOD OF TAXIING IN CIRCLES AT A SLOW WALK. FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR OBSERVING ADVISED CAPT OF SAFETY VIOLATION.

Narrative: PLT REQUIRED TO XFER FUEL DUE TO FUEL IMBAL. PROC ACCEPTED FOR NON MECHANICAL XFER BY COMPANY AND MANUFACTURER IS TO TAXI IN CIRCULAR REVOLUTIONS TO USE CENTRIFUGAL ENERGY TO FORCE FUEL FROM 1 TANK TO OTHER TANK. PLT PERFORMED THIS PROC WITH APPROVAL FROM SFF GND, REMAINED IN COM WITH SFF GND FREQ. PLT USED PERSON TO SPOT/VIEW PROC. PLT PERFORMED PROC AT BASE OF CTL TWR, IN VIEW OF CTLR IN MOST WELL LIT OPEN AREA OF ARPT. FAA VIEWED PROC AND AFTER COMPLETION OF PROC APCHED PLT WITH QUESTIONS OF SAFETY REGARDING THIS PROC. TO REITERATE: 1) PROC IN QUESTION -- FUEL XFER BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE DURING TAXI OPS. 2) COMPANY AND MANUFACTURER APPROVED PROC. 3) PLT OBTAINED TWR APPROVAL AND REMAINED IN RADIO COM THROUGHOUT PROC. 4) PLT UTILIZED SPOTTER FOR PROC. 5) PLT UTILIZED LARGEST OPEN SPACE AVAILABLE ON ARPT -- 100 YARDS BY 75 YARDS. 6) PLT PERFORMED PROC WITH 11 TURNS. 7) TAXI SPD, FAST WALK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED WHEN SUMMONED TO THE LCL FAA FSDO AND MEETING WITH THE MGR, ALL ISSUES REGARDING SAFETY VIOLATIONS WERE DROPPED. THE RPTR SAID THE FUEL XFER PROC WAS EXPLAINED TO THE MGR AND THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS THAT WERE TAKEN RESULTED IN ALL CHARGES BEING DROPPED.

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 swearingen 227-4 used approved fuel xfer method of taxiing in circles at a slow walk. FAA safety inspector observing advised captain of safety violation.