AN ACR B747 CREW LOST FUEL PRESSURE TO ITS #4 ENG.

Date: 1994-04 · Aircraft: B747-100

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown|other-unspecified

Synopsis

AN ACR B747 CREW LOST FUEL PRESSURE TO ITS #4 ENG.

Narrative

USE THE PROPER CHKLIST. WE FLY 4 DIFFERENT MODELS OF THIS ACFT; WITH THE CORRESPONDING DIFFERENT CHKLISTS FOR FUEL MGMNT. THE FE INADVERTENTLY SKIPPED FROM 1 MODEL AIRPLANE TO ANOTHER WHILE CONFIGURING HIS FUEL PANEL FOR FUEL TRANSFER. AS A RESULT; FUEL PRESSURE WAS MOMENTARILY LOST TO #4 ENG. NO LOSS OF PWR; BUT A FLUCTUATION OF EPR WAS NOTICED AND THE FUEL PANEL IMMEDIATELY CONFIGURED PROPERLY. THIS WAS FOLLOWED UP BY A THOROUGH DISCUSSION OF FUEL MGMNT AND PROPER CHKLISTS IDENT. AS AN ASIDE TO THIS RPT; AN FAA ACI ON THIS FLT MADE THE COMMENT THAT PLTS SHOULD NOT FILE NASA ASRS RPTS AS THIS HIDES INFO FROM THE FAA. I FOUND THIS COMMENTARY OUTRAGEOUS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING CAPT FLIES THE B-747 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. THE CREWS FLY SEVERAL DIFFERENT DASH MODELS OF THE 747; EACH WITH SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PROCS IN SEVERAL AREAS OF OP. THE SO ON THIS TRIP HAD BEEN OFF DUTY FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS AND HAD THE FUEL TRANSFER PAGES FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ACFT ON HIS DESK. HE GOT MIXED UP; AND USED THE 747-SP PROC VICE THE -100. NO ENG FLAMED OUT; THERE WAS JUST A MOMENTARY FLUCTUATION OF THE EPR. THE ACI THAT WITNESSED THIS DISCUSSED THE PROB HALFWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. WHEN THE ASRS RPT WAS MENTIONED; THE ACI SAID THAT NO RPT WAS NECESSARY; AS THIS PREVENTED THE FAA FROM FINDING OUT THE FACTS. THE CAPT SAID THAT HE WAS SO ANGRY OVER THIS POINT OF VIEW THAT HE DIDN'T DARE CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION FURTHER. THE CAPT HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA ON THIS YET. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 268444: IT IS INTERESTING AND DISTURBING TO ME THAT DURING THE DEBRIEFING WITH THE FAA INSPECTOR; HE DISCOURAGED US FROM FILING A NASA RPT; ALTHOUGH HE SAID HE WOULD WRITE A RPT TO HIS SUPERIOR; THE POI. HE SAID A NASA RPT 'DOES NOT ALLOW US TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF PROBS.'

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.