Narrative:

Flight plan ZZZ -- nrt fuel on board 360000 pounds, including 20700 pounds of horizontal stabilizer fuel (in tail). Takeoff gross weight 870000 pounds. Upon reaching cruise altitude of FL310, fuel would not xfer out of horizontal stabilizer into center wing tank. This presented us with a center of gravity problem. There were 4 pilots on flight deck, as we were on augmented crew. I was the PNF, first officer. Our crew conferred with dispatch, maintenance, and our fleet captain about our situation. Decided to divert to det. Declared an emergency with montreal ARTCC as we were going to make an overweight landing (approximately 800000 pounds) in XXX. Once in XXX area, went into holding and talking to det approach. Dispatch asked us about checking status of horizontal stabilizer fuel pump circuit breakers, which were located in flight attendant rest area near the tail section. Dispatch alluded to the fact that the circuit breakers might be collared. Upon investigation, discovered that both left and right horizontal stabilizer circuit breakers were pulled and collared. Per maintenance control and fleet captain, removed the right horizontal stabilizer circuit breaker collar and reset the right circuit breaker. Fuel in horizontal stabilizer xferred normally to center wing tank. Decided amongst entire crew (pilots/flight attendants) to press onto anc, stop and refuel and fly onto tokyo. The emergency was cancelled with det approach. Aircraft rerted to anc. Routine operations from there on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B744 FLT CREW DISCOVERED FUEL XFER FROM STABILIZER TANK TO CTR TANK DID NOT OPERATE AS REQUIRED. DECLARED EMER AND DIVERTED TOWARD XXX, US. UPON CONSULTATION WITH COMPANY MAINT, FLT CREW RESOLVED PROB, CANCELLED EMER AND PROCEEDED TO DEST WITH FUEL STOP IN ANC.

Narrative: FLT PLAN ZZZ -- NRT FUEL ON BOARD 360000 LBS, INCLUDING 20700 LBS OF HORIZ STABILIZER FUEL (IN TAIL). TKOF GROSS WT 870000 LBS. UPON REACHING CRUISE ALT OF FL310, FUEL WOULD NOT XFER OUT OF HORIZ STABILIZER INTO CTR WING TANK. THIS PRESENTED US WITH A CTR OF GRAVITY PROB. THERE WERE 4 PLTS ON FLT DECK, AS WE WERE ON AUGMENTED CREW. I WAS THE PNF, FO. OUR CREW CONFERRED WITH DISPATCH, MAINT, AND OUR FLEET CAPT ABOUT OUR SIT. DECIDED TO DIVERT TO DET. DECLARED AN EMER WITH MONTREAL ARTCC AS WE WERE GOING TO MAKE AN OVERWT LNDG (APPROX 800000 LBS) IN XXX. ONCE IN XXX AREA, WENT INTO HOLDING AND TALKING TO DET APCH. DISPATCH ASKED US ABOUT CHKING STATUS OF HORIZ STABILIZER FUEL PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKERS, WHICH WERE LOCATED IN FLT ATTENDANT REST AREA NEAR THE TAIL SECTION. DISPATCH ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS MIGHT BE COLLARED. UPON INVESTIGATION, DISCOVERED THAT BOTH L AND R HORIZ STABILIZER CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED AND COLLARED. PER MAINT CTL AND FLEET CAPT, REMOVED THE R HORIZ STABILIZER CB COLLAR AND RESET THE R CB. FUEL IN HORIZ STABILIZER XFERRED NORMALLY TO CTR WING TANK. DECIDED AMONGST ENTIRE CREW (PLTS/FLT ATTENDANTS) TO PRESS ONTO ANC, STOP AND REFUEL AND FLY ONTO TOKYO. THE EMER WAS CANCELLED WITH DET APCH. ACFT RERTED TO ANC. ROUTINE OPS FROM THERE ON.

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.