Narrative:

ZZZ1 to ZZZ2. All checklists were completed; the flight crew performed ZZZ1 takeoff below class B airspace. After takeoff; flight crew duties and checklists were performed as per operating manual. Departure and climb out was extra busy for both crew members with regard to class B airspace. TCAS traffic; and an abnormally high number of altitude leveloffs up through approximately 23000 ft. Flight step climbed from 3000 ft to 23000 ft with a number of 1000 ft leveloffs during climb. As a result of a very delayed climb toward cruise; flight requested off course vector to facilitate a more fuel efficient flight. Once ATC cleared flight to climb to an acceptable altitude; I advised my first officer that the aircraft; as well as the radio duties; were under his control to allow me to make my PA to the passenger. Once the PA was complete; the captain returned to the pilot monitoring duties. The first officer advised me that the cruise checklist was complete and that no changes to the flight had occurred. Fuel logs were maintained; however; I failed to notice the developing center tank fuel problem. Much flight crew attention was directed towards staying clear of many thunderstorms and severe WX. This again resulted in much attention being directed outside the cockpit and using the radar for guidance around WX. The flight attendants and passenger were briefed on a potential bumpy descent due to surrounding WX; and were requested to prepare for landing early and to take their seats. This request was made shortly after abc on the arrival into ZZZ2. The flight crew had not noticed any unusual cockpit fuel indications. All seemed normal. At cde; I immediately noticed an abnormal fuel situation. With fuel quantity concerns; I claimed control of the aircraft from the first officer and commanded the first officer to declare an emergency and request approach control to get approval to land at what I thought was ZZZ3. In addition; the first officer notified the flight attendants of an immediate landing and performed the before landing checklist. With approval to land at ZZZ3; we were informed we were not lined up for ZZZ3; but instead we were on final for ZZZ4. The first officer gained landing clearance to land at ZZZ4. Flight landed safely; no damage to the aircraft or passenger occurred. During flight; flight crew failed to note that the center tank fuel was not decreasing as normal. Although logs were kept; the first officer and I were somehow distracted from detecting the situation. The first officer and I accept all responsibility for not realizing the abnormal fuel situation earlier. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that at least one center tank fuel pump failed; causing fuel to be trapped in the center tank. However; both center tank switches were on. Because the crew was attending to other tasks; they missed the low wing tank fuel developing. The reporter was not sure whether one or both pumps failed. When the crew realized that they had 1800 pounds in each of the wing tanks; the reporter elected to land at the nearest airport rather than risk delays at the destination or another nearby landing field because of developing WX and an impending runway change. The reporter stated that he believes some warning for either low wing fuel quantity or low pump pressure should be installed to assist the crew in fuel quantity awareness. The system panel location is out of sight and therefore mostly out of mind. Supplemental information from acn 665023: my fuel log had both total fuel and center tank fuel levels noted. I did not; however; recognize the fact that the center tank fuel was way too high and was no longer feeding and that the wing tanks were feeding. I also did not notice on the fuel log that the center tank numbers were similar. I was distracted from my fuel log duties at times but maintained the fuel log.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FUEL EMER WAS DECLARED AND FLT DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST ARPT AFTER AN MD80 FLT CREW DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE CENTER TANK FUEL PUMPS HAD FAILED AND THE WING TANK FUEL WAS NEARLY EXHAUSTED.

Narrative: ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2. ALL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED; THE FLT CREW PERFORMED ZZZ1 TKOF BELOW CLASS B AIRSPACE. AFTER TKOF; FLT CREW DUTIES AND CHKLISTS WERE PERFORMED AS PER OPERATING MANUAL. DEP AND CLB OUT WAS EXTRA BUSY FOR BOTH CREW MEMBERS WITH REGARD TO CLASS B AIRSPACE. TCAS TFC; AND AN ABNORMALLY HIGH NUMBER OF ALT LEVELOFFS UP THROUGH APPROX 23000 FT. FLT STEP CLBED FROM 3000 FT TO 23000 FT WITH A NUMBER OF 1000 FT LEVELOFFS DURING CLB. AS A RESULT OF A VERY DELAYED CLB TOWARD CRUISE; FLT REQUESTED OFF COURSE VECTOR TO FACILITATE A MORE FUEL EFFICIENT FLT. ONCE ATC CLRED FLT TO CLB TO AN ACCEPTABLE ALT; I ADVISED MY FO THAT THE ACFT; AS WELL AS THE RADIO DUTIES; WERE UNDER HIS CTL TO ALLOW ME TO MAKE MY PA TO THE PAX. ONCE THE PA WAS COMPLETE; THE CAPT RETURNED TO THE PLT MONITORING DUTIES. THE FO ADVISED ME THAT THE CRUISE CHKLIST WAS COMPLETE AND THAT NO CHANGES TO THE FLT HAD OCCURRED. FUEL LOGS WERE MAINTAINED; HOWEVER; I FAILED TO NOTICE THE DEVELOPING CENTER TANK FUEL PROB. MUCH FLT CREW ATTENTION WAS DIRECTED TOWARDS STAYING CLEAR OF MANY TSTMS AND SEVERE WX. THIS AGAIN RESULTED IN MUCH ATTENTION BEING DIRECTED OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT AND USING THE RADAR FOR GUIDANCE AROUND WX. THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX WERE BRIEFED ON A POTENTIAL BUMPY DSCNT DUE TO SURROUNDING WX; AND WERE REQUESTED TO PREPARE FOR LNDG EARLY AND TO TAKE THEIR SEATS. THIS REQUEST WAS MADE SHORTLY AFTER ABC ON THE ARR INTO ZZZ2. THE FLT CREW HAD NOT NOTICED ANY UNUSUAL COCKPIT FUEL INDICATIONS. ALL SEEMED NORMAL. AT CDE; I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED AN ABNORMAL FUEL SIT. WITH FUEL QUANTITY CONCERNS; I CLAIMED CTL OF THE ACFT FROM THE FO AND COMMANDED THE FO TO DECLARE AN EMER AND REQUEST APCH CTL TO GET APPROVAL TO LAND AT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ZZZ3. IN ADDITION; THE FO NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF AN IMMEDIATE LNDG AND PERFORMED THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. WITH APPROVAL TO LAND AT ZZZ3; WE WERE INFORMED WE WERE NOT LINED UP FOR ZZZ3; BUT INSTEAD WE WERE ON FINAL FOR ZZZ4. THE FO GAINED LNDG CLRNC TO LAND AT ZZZ4. FLT LANDED SAFELY; NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR PAX OCCURRED. DURING FLT; FLT CREW FAILED TO NOTE THAT THE CENTER TANK FUEL WAS NOT DECREASING AS NORMAL. ALTHOUGH LOGS WERE KEPT; THE FO AND I WERE SOMEHOW DISTRACTED FROM DETECTING THE SIT. THE FO AND I ACCEPT ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR NOT REALIZING THE ABNORMAL FUEL SIT EARLIER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT AT LEAST ONE CENTER TANK FUEL PUMP FAILED; CAUSING FUEL TO BE TRAPPED IN THE CENTER TANK. HOWEVER; BOTH CENTER TANK SWITCHES WERE ON. BECAUSE THE CREW WAS ATTENDING TO OTHER TASKS; THEY MISSED THE LOW WING TANK FUEL DEVELOPING. THE RPTR WAS NOT SURE WHETHER ONE OR BOTH PUMPS FAILED. WHEN THE CREW REALIZED THAT THEY HAD 1800 LBS IN EACH OF THE WING TANKS; THE RPTR ELECTED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST ARPT RATHER THAN RISK DELAYS AT THE DEST OR ANOTHER NEARBY LNDG FIELD BECAUSE OF DEVELOPING WX AND AN IMPENDING RWY CHANGE. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE BELIEVES SOME WARNING FOR EITHER LOW WING FUEL QUANTITY OR LOW PUMP PRESSURE SHOULD BE INSTALLED TO ASSIST THE CREW IN FUEL QUANTITY AWARENESS. THE SYSTEM PANEL LOCATION IS OUT OF SIGHT AND THEREFORE MOSTLY OUT OF MIND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 665023: MY FUEL LOG HAD BOTH TOTAL FUEL AND CENTER TANK FUEL LEVELS NOTED. I DID NOT; HOWEVER; RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT THE CENTER TANK FUEL WAS WAY TOO HIGH AND WAS NO LONGER FEEDING AND THAT THE WING TANKS WERE FEEDING. I ALSO DID NOT NOTICE ON THE FUEL LOG THAT THE CENTER TANK NUMBERS WERE SIMILAR. I WAS DISTRACTED FROM MY FUEL LOG DUTIES AT TIMES BUT MAINTAINED THE FUEL LOG.

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.