Narrative:

At gate; fueler arrives with fuel sheet. States I had mechanic inoperative the right fuel drip stick. I went to fuel page and observed right outer tank at 1040 pounds and left outer at 1560 pounds. I have never seen a fuel imbal between the outer tanks on the ground. Inquiry; aircraft did not receive fuel. Arrived with 19.8 while main plus outer equaled what we were to have; outer right tank was not correct. I felt drip stick may have been working properly and was indicating a real problem. Called maintenance control and worked with maintenance to resolve problem. Here is the reason I am writing this report: after landing; the fuel valves open and outer tank fuel drains to the mains. When fueler arrives to refuel; he automatically closes valve doors. This aircraft did not refuel. The doors appeared closed on the fuel page but with fuel pumps on; fuel was migrating back into outer right tank from main. In 30 mins; 500 pounds returned to right outer. I don't believe a complete seal or closure was there since aircraft did not refuel. Therefore; it is possible the fuel leak problem we have had and the burst fuel disks had been caused by this type of occurrence -- the main constantly adding back pressure where pressure should not be. There was a push to take aircraft. Had verbal discussion with maintenance supervisors that fuel quantity was ok and drip stick inoperative I should go. I wonder if a back pressure problem would have arisen due to incomplete closure of the right door outer tank. Anyhow; I had discussed with maintenance control and our plan was to open fuel valve doors and drain out outer tanks then refuel with additional 3500 pounds to see if tanks would fill and hold fuel. They did. The sequence was now correct. Many times we turn on fuel pumps before reading fuel page. If aircraft not fueled; tanks may have this problem and crew does not know it. No ECAM here. After several mins of fuel pumps running; tanks are where they should be and doors may not be closed and getting this back pressure constantly until next refuel. I recommend any aircraft not refueled should; by procedure; have a fueler open and close fuel doors as a precaution until a study of this anomaly has been checked out. Too many people want to rationalize why something doesn't look right and then push to go. If something doesn't look right; it isn't right until I have assured why it doesn't look right. The drip stick was working fine and indicating a problem. A rush to slap a deferral sticker to move a flight could have had us diverting with a fuel leak.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 CAPT RPTS PRESSURE TO DISPATCH FLT WITH R OUTER FUEL TANK DRAINING INTO MAIN. BELIEVES OUTER FUEL DOOR STUCK OPEN.

Narrative: AT GATE; FUELER ARRIVES WITH FUEL SHEET. STATES I HAD MECH INOP THE R FUEL DRIP STICK. I WENT TO FUEL PAGE AND OBSERVED R OUTER TANK AT 1040 LBS AND L OUTER AT 1560 LBS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FUEL IMBAL BTWN THE OUTER TANKS ON THE GND. INQUIRY; ACFT DID NOT RECEIVE FUEL. ARRIVED WITH 19.8 WHILE MAIN PLUS OUTER EQUALED WHAT WE WERE TO HAVE; OUTER R TANK WAS NOT CORRECT. I FELT DRIP STICK MAY HAVE BEEN WORKING PROPERLY AND WAS INDICATING A REAL PROB. CALLED MAINT CTL AND WORKED WITH MAINT TO RESOLVE PROB. HERE IS THE REASON I AM WRITING THIS RPT: AFTER LNDG; THE FUEL VALVES OPEN AND OUTER TANK FUEL DRAINS TO THE MAINS. WHEN FUELER ARRIVES TO REFUEL; HE AUTOMATICALLY CLOSES VALVE DOORS. THIS ACFT DID NOT REFUEL. THE DOORS APPEARED CLOSED ON THE FUEL PAGE BUT WITH FUEL PUMPS ON; FUEL WAS MIGRATING BACK INTO OUTER R TANK FROM MAIN. IN 30 MINS; 500 LBS RETURNED TO R OUTER. I DON'T BELIEVE A COMPLETE SEAL OR CLOSURE WAS THERE SINCE ACFT DID NOT REFUEL. THEREFORE; IT IS POSSIBLE THE FUEL LEAK PROB WE HAVE HAD AND THE BURST FUEL DISKS HAD BEEN CAUSED BY THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE -- THE MAIN CONSTANTLY ADDING BACK PRESSURE WHERE PRESSURE SHOULD NOT BE. THERE WAS A PUSH TO TAKE ACFT. HAD VERBAL DISCUSSION WITH MAINT SUPVRS THAT FUEL QUANTITY WAS OK AND DRIP STICK INOP I SHOULD GO. I WONDER IF A BACK PRESSURE PROB WOULD HAVE ARISEN DUE TO INCOMPLETE CLOSURE OF THE R DOOR OUTER TANK. ANYHOW; I HAD DISCUSSED WITH MAINT CTL AND OUR PLAN WAS TO OPEN FUEL VALVE DOORS AND DRAIN OUT OUTER TANKS THEN REFUEL WITH ADDITIONAL 3500 LBS TO SEE IF TANKS WOULD FILL AND HOLD FUEL. THEY DID. THE SEQUENCE WAS NOW CORRECT. MANY TIMES WE TURN ON FUEL PUMPS BEFORE READING FUEL PAGE. IF ACFT NOT FUELED; TANKS MAY HAVE THIS PROB AND CREW DOES NOT KNOW IT. NO ECAM HERE. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF FUEL PUMPS RUNNING; TANKS ARE WHERE THEY SHOULD BE AND DOORS MAY NOT BE CLOSED AND GETTING THIS BACK PRESSURE CONSTANTLY UNTIL NEXT REFUEL. I RECOMMEND ANY ACFT NOT REFUELED SHOULD; BY PROC; HAVE A FUELER OPEN AND CLOSE FUEL DOORS AS A PRECAUTION UNTIL A STUDY OF THIS ANOMALY HAS BEEN CHKED OUT. TOO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO RATIONALIZE WHY SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT AND THEN PUSH TO GO. IF SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT; IT ISN'T RIGHT UNTIL I HAVE ASSURED WHY IT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT. THE DRIP STICK WAS WORKING FINE AND INDICATING A PROB. A RUSH TO SLAP A DEFERRAL STICKER TO MOVE A FLT COULD HAVE HAD US DIVERTING WITH A FUEL LEAK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.