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An MD80 developed a fuel quantity imbal. The flight returned to departure airport and found the fill control valve switches open on the wing fueling panel.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 720718 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200612 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zzz.artcc |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 30000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| ASRS Report | 720718 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 720724 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
We departed with balanced fuel totaling approximately 38000 pounds. At the first fuel check; the captain noticed a fuel imbal of approximately 2000 pounds. Initially we suspected a fuel gauge error since our total fuel was as forecast. We analyzed the problem after further exploration as a possible problem with fuel feeding from the left main into the center tank. The decision was made to return to ZZZ after talking with dispatch. Landing below maximum landing weight was uneventful. Maintenance discovered one of the fill control valve switches on the wing fuel control panel had been left open and the gang-bar was broken and did not back up the fueler's switch error.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD80 DEVELOPED A FUEL QUANTITY IMBAL. THE FLT RETURNED TO DEP ARPT AND FOUND THE FILL CTL VALVE SWITCHES OPEN ON THE WING FUELING PANEL.
Narrative: WE DEPARTED WITH BALANCED FUEL TOTALING APPROX 38000 LBS. AT THE FIRST FUEL CHK; THE CAPT NOTICED A FUEL IMBAL OF APPROX 2000 LBS. INITIALLY WE SUSPECTED A FUEL GAUGE ERROR SINCE OUR TOTAL FUEL WAS AS FORECAST. WE ANALYZED THE PROB AFTER FURTHER EXPLORATION AS A POSSIBLE PROB WITH FUEL FEEDING FROM THE L MAIN INTO THE CTR TANK. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO ZZZ AFTER TALKING WITH DISPATCH. LNDG BELOW MAX LNDG WT WAS UNEVENTFUL. MAINT DISCOVERED ONE OF THE FILL CTL VALVE SWITCHES ON THE WING FUEL CTL PANEL HAD BEEN LEFT OPEN AND THE GANG-BAR WAS BROKEN AND DID NOT BACK UP THE FUELER'S SWITCH ERROR.
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.