During departure climb air carrier flight crew reported the left fuel tank showing a high rate of fuel consumption compared to the right tank. Flight crew elected to return to departure airport and landed uneventfully.
Synopsis
During departure climb air carrier flight crew reported the left fuel tank showing a high rate of fuel consumption compared to the right tank. Flight crew elected to return to departure airport and landed uneventfully.
Narrative
After liftoff I noticed a rapidly increasing amount of roll correction was required to remain wings level. Climbout continued as I noticed the left fuel tank quantity rolling back like a countdown timer with the center and right tanks remaining stable. QRH for 'Fuel Imbalance' procedures were followed up to shutting down the left engine. We paused there since we were turning final for Runway XXL at ZZZ and the aircraft was stable and the imbalance was no longer increasing at a rapid rate. After landing we shut down the left engine and allowed ARFF (Airport Rescue and Firefighting) to examine the aircraft. ARFF crew verified fuel was not leaking; we single engine taxied to the alley and towed to gate with ARFF supervision. The maintenance crew informed me that they had been called out by the fueling crew for an imbalance condition before the flight however when they arrived the fuel was properly loaded. Cause: Unknown. Post flight review indicates that both engines were being fed by the left fuel tank with all pumps on and cross feed closed. Suggestion: Unknown cause. Early recognition and starting the checklist before getting the fuel imbalance indication maintained the aircraft in a controllable configuration.
Second reporter narrative
Shortly after arriving to the airplane to start the day; 2 Maintenance members came on the plane and asked me about a fuel imbalance that they received and were called out to check on. All three of us looked at the fuel quantity that was already put on the airplane and it showed the correct amount of gas that we needed for the flight and it was balanced and checked out fine. When everything was finished with boarding and the front door was shut; we pushed back like normal and taxied to [Runway] XXR for departure. Shortly after departure; the Captain was flying and noticed that the plane was requiring a lot more rudder and aileron to keep the airplane flying straight. Shortly after departure; the fuel imbalance indication came up on the left fuel tank which got both of ours attention for which we saw a super fast decrease in fuel coming from the left tank. We continued the departure while we started to decide what we wanted to do. I got into the QRH with the Fuel Imbalance Checklist and proceeded with the checklist. We got all the way up to shutting down the engine" and stopped because we were already turning back to ZZZ and we made the decision to not shut it down because we were close to the airport and had plenty of fuel in the tanks. After doing the checklist; the decrease in fuel was finally stable and was not decreasing like it was before. We [requested priority handling] and landed on XXL and came to a full stop. The ARFF (Airport Rescue and Firefighting) trucks approached the airplane while we were stopped on the runway to make sure we weren't leaking fuel and everything was safe. After getting the ok from ARFF; we taxied into the gate with ARFF following us all the way. Cause: The 2 Maintenance team members came onto the airplane right after I got on the plane to ask about a fuel imbalance that they received to come out and investigate. After all 3 of us looked at the fuel quantity and seeing that it was full and balanced; they left and I started doing my preflight tasks. After departure and the fuel imbalanced came up with the amount decreasing so rapidly; it made things weirder that the fuel was imbalanced during refueling; showed fine on the ground; and then became imbalanced again in the air. Suggestion: Ask more questions when the Maintenance members came out to investigate a fuel imbalance call. They came and saw it was fine and all 3 of us were ok when we saw it fine. I should have asked more questions about who reported the fuel imbalance; when did the person see it was imbalance; and did the completed fueling cause the fueler to see it fine and then leave."
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.