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B737-400 flight crew has engine fail from fuel starvation when fuel xfeed was closed with both left main tank fuel pumps turned off.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 687554 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200602 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon tower : zzzz.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-400 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival star : n/a |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 687554 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : engine low/dle eicas msg. other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
After burning center tank fuel; captain used xfeed to balance main tank fuel. Left fuel xfeed on too long and fuel became out of balance in the other tank. I was flying and briefing the approach and upon leveloff at 11000 ft; when power levers came up; the engine low idle light came on and I noticed that the left engine instruments showed the engine not running. Started the APU and powered the busses. Ran the engine fail shudder checklist. Ran the in-flight start checklist. Started the left engine and landed. While the engine was shut down; I noticed the xfeed valve was closed while the tank pumps were off. I assume the engine quit because it was not suction fueling. I also believe that the reason the xfeed was closed instead of open happened when xfueling and xfeeding back to the other side; he closed the valve out of habit when going from one side and the other. He should have left the valve open; while turning pumps on and off.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-400 FLT CREW HAS ENG FAIL FROM FUEL STARVATION WHEN FUEL XFEED WAS CLOSED WITH BOTH L MAIN TANK FUEL PUMPS TURNED OFF.
Narrative: AFTER BURNING CTR TANK FUEL; CAPT USED XFEED TO BALANCE MAIN TANK FUEL. L FUEL XFEED ON TOO LONG AND FUEL BECAME OUT OF BALANCE IN THE OTHER TANK. I WAS FLYING AND BRIEFING THE APCH AND UPON LEVELOFF AT 11000 FT; WHEN PWR LEVERS CAME UP; THE ENG LOW IDLE LIGHT CAME ON AND I NOTICED THAT THE L ENG INSTS SHOWED THE ENG NOT RUNNING. STARTED THE APU AND POWERED THE BUSSES. RAN THE ENG FAIL SHUDDER CHKLIST. RAN THE INFLT START CHKLIST. STARTED THE L ENG AND LANDED. WHILE THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN; I NOTICED THE XFEED VALVE WAS CLOSED WHILE THE TANK PUMPS WERE OFF. I ASSUME THE ENG QUIT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SUCTION FUELING. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE REASON THE XFEED WAS CLOSED INSTEAD OF OPEN HAPPENED WHEN XFUELING AND XFEEDING BACK TO THE OTHER SIDE; HE CLOSED THE VALVE OUT OF HABIT WHEN GOING FROM ONE SIDE AND THE OTHER. HE SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE VALVE OPEN; WHILE TURNING PUMPS ON AND OFF.
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.