1995-10 · NASA ASRS report 317484
DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE MANDATED BY AN OBVIOUS TRIM PROB. FLC SUSPECTED A FUEL IMBALANCE.
AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG IN DENVER; CO; OF A B727 ACFT. THIS FLT DEPARTED CHICAGO THE SAME DAY BOUND FOR SLC. TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL AS WAS INITIAL CLBOUT AND FLAP RETRACTION. DURING CLBOUT AND AFTER FLAP RETRACTION AND WHILE THE ACFT WAS ACCELERATING TO 250 KTS FOR CLBOUT THERE WAS A NEED TO INCREASE RUDDER AND/OR AILERON TRIM TO KEEP THE WINGS LEVEL DUE TO AN INCREASE IN THE TENDENCY OF THE ACFT TO ROLL TO THE R. I PUT IN ABOUT 3 UNITS OF RUDDER TRIM TO CANCEL THE ROLL. WHEN RUDDER TRIM WAS TAKEN OUT; THE ACFT REQUIRED 3 UNITS OF AILERON TRIM TO KEEP THE WINGS LEVEL. THIS ACFT LEFT CHICAGO WITH AN INOP FUEL GAUGE FOR THE #1 FUEL TANK. THE ROLL RATE WAS SUSPECTED TO COME FROM AN IMPROPER FUEL BALANCE FROM WHEN THE FUEL WAS BOARDED. ALTHOUGH ALL THE PAPERWORK CONCERNING FUEL AMOUNT AND BOARDING WAS PROPERLY EXECUTED AND CHKED IT WAS FELT BY THE ENTIRE CREW THAT A FUEL IMBALANCE MIGHT BE THE PROB DUE TO THE FACT THAT SO MUCH TRIM WAS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN WINGS LEVEL. WITH THE #1 FUEL GAUGE INOP; IT BECAME SUSPECT THAT A FUEL PROB MIGHT EXIST AND FOR THAT REASON AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE REST OF THE CREW; THE CAPT ELECTED TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY AND LAND THE ACFT AT A POINT IN TIME THAT WE KNEW WAS SAFE AS FAR AS FUEL AND ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WERE CONCERNED AND THAT WAS DENVER; CO. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC PENDING RESOLUTION OF THE TRIM QUESTION.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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