ACFT EQUIP PROB -- EMER DECLARED ACR HAS A SEVERE HIGH- PRESSURE FUEL LEAK AND DIVERTS AND MAKES AN EXPEDITIOUS LNDG.

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AT CRUISE; 15 MINS AFTER FUEL GAUGE INDICATIONS WERE CHKED INDICATING NORMAL QUANTITY AND BALANCED TANKS; A 5000 LB IMBALANCE AND 5000 LB BELOW PLANNED QUANTITY INDICATION WAS NOTED. A QUICK CHK OF FUEL USED GAUGES; TIMING OF FUEL QUANTITY DECREASE FOR 1 MIN AND NOTING A LATERAL OUT OF TRIM CONDITION ALL BUT CONFIRMED A FUEL LEAK. NORMAL FUEL CONSUMPTION WOULD BE PLUS OR MINUS 100 LBS/MIN. WE WERE USING PLUS OR MINUS 300 LBS/MIN. AT THIS RATE OF CONSUMPTION; WE HAD NO MORE THAN 25 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING. DECLARED AN EMER WITH CTR AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE DSCNT INTO DFW. PLANNED DEST WAS IAH. AFTER INITIATING DSCNT; CALLED FIRST FLT ATTENDANT TO COCKPIT AND ADVISED HER OF SIT AND THE PLAN; IE; TO MAKE A NORMAL LNDG AT DFW IN APPROX 15 MINS DUE TO A POSSIBLE FUEL LEAK. ASKED HER TO BRIEF OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS AND TO MAKE A PA INFORMING THE CUSTOMERS. AFTER COMPLETING NECESSARY COMS WITH ATC AND COMPANY; AND COMPLETING APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS; I MADE A PA TO CUSTOMERS INFORMING THEM THAT WE WERE DSNDING FOR A NORMAL LNDG AT DFW. I ADVISED THEM TO EXPECT FIRE TRUCKS TO APCH THE ACFT AFTER LNDG. WE MADE A FULL FLAP IDLE REVERSE LNDG. ON FINAL APCH; A COMMUTER ACFT IN FRONT OF US WAS SENT AROUND BY TWR AS WE WERE CLOSING RAPIDLY ON HIM. AS WE CROSSED THE APCH LIGHTS AN ACR WAITING FOR TKOF ADVISED ON TWR FREQ WE HAD 'FUEL POURING OUT OF #1 ENG.' IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD NOT HAVE EVEN DEPLOYED THE REVERSERS. IT DID NOT CAUSE US A PROB; BUT IT DID BLOW FUEL FORWARD OVER THE ENG. I STOPPED THE ACFT ON THE HIGH SPD; SHUTDOWN BOTH ENGS; AND DID NOT START APU. FIRE DEPT FOAMED #1 ENG AND FUEL ON THE RAMP. NO FIRE OCCURRED. CUSTOMERS DEPLANED WITHOUT INCIDENT VIA AFT AIR STAIRS (RATHER THEN RISK INJURIES BY USE OF EVAC SLIDES). PROB TURNED OUT TO BE A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL LINE FITTING THAT HAD BLOWN OUT. MAYBE HAD BEEN OVER TORQUED??? WE LANDED WITH 6-7 MINS FUEL REMAINING. ALL IS WELL THAT ENDS WELL! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS FLC WAS FLYING AN MD- 80; AND THE FUEL LEAK WAS IN THE HIGH-PRESSURE LINE TO THE ENG. THE CAPT SAID THAT THEY CONSIDERED SHUTTING DOWN THE L ENG TO SEE IF THAT WOULD STOP THE L SIDE LEAK; BUT DECIDED AGAINST THIS COURSE OF ACTION. THEY WERE WORRIED THAT IF THE LEAK DID NOT STOP; THEY WOULD THEN BE IN AN UNBALANCED ACFT WITH ONLY 1 ENG. THE CREW WENT THROUGH THE SAME TYPE OF DECISION PATH WHEN CONSIDERING TO EVAC OR USE THE AFT EXIT STAIRS. THE STAIRS WERE USED SINCE THERE WAS NO FIRE RPTED BY THE FIRE/RESCUE TEAM; SO THE ORDERLY; BUT RAPID DEPLANING WAS DONE BY USE OF THE AFT AIR STAIRS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE PAX WERE SENT ON TO THEIR DEST ON OTHER ACFT AND THE FLC SENT TO A HOTEL. THE NEXT MORNING THE FLC PICKED UP THE REPAIRED ACFT AND RESUMED REVENUE SVC.