1996-12 · NASA ASRS report 357103
B727-200 FREIGHTER IS UNABLE TO XFEED FUEL TO THE #1 ENG AND HAS TO DIVERT TO AMA FOR MAINT AND FUEL.
FLYING A SCHEDULED CARGO FLT FROM CVG TO PHX; THEN PHX TO LAX. THIS PARTICULAR B727 HAD 4 DMI'S ON WHICH 2 INVOLVED THE FUEL SYS: 1) #1 FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INOP. 2) #1 XFEED INOP OPEN. AFTER APPROX 2 HRS; I CALCULATED THE FUEL SCORE OF APPROX 38000 LBS FOR MY MID-POINT RPT. THE CAPT WANTED TO COMPARE MY FIGURES WITH THE FLT PLAN AND CAME UP WITH AN 8000 LB DIFFERENCE. THE ACFT; ON AUTOPLT; APPEARED TO BE FLYING OUT OF TRIM; IE; R WING DOWN AND L RUDDER. DEPARTING CVG; #1 FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE WAS INOP (BUT SHOWED 4300 LBS). IT WAS FAIRLY CLOSE TO AMA ARPT WHEN THE GAUGE STARTED TO STEADILY DECREASE. AS A CREW; WE DEDUCED THAT THE GAUGE MAY BE REFLECTING THE 'CORRECT' FIGURE; AND THAT THE FUEL HAD BEEN BURNING OUT OF TANK #1 SINCE TKOF. WE PERFORMED A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT AMA. CONTRACT MAINT AT AMA FOUND THE XFEED VALVE WIRED CLOSED. FORTUNATELY; I LEFT THE BOOST PUMPS 'ON' IN TASK #1. THE B727-200 HAS OVERRIDING #2 BOOST PUMPS WHICH PREVENTED A FLAMEOUT ON CLB OUT AND AT CRUISE. ALSO; BY DISCOVERING THE PREDICAMENT EARLY; THE ENG DID NOT FLAME OUT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION; AND PLACED US IN A POS OF A HVY R WING AND A #1 ENG OUT. AND; WITH THE FUEL QUANTITY AS LOW AS IT WAS; NOTICED THE B HYD PUMP DID NOT OVERHEAT TO COMPOUND THE PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: NORMALLY; WHEN THE FUEL LOAD IS MORE THAN 36000 LBS; THERE IS MORE FUEL IN #2 TANK THAN IN TANKS #1 OR #3. THE PLAN; EARLY IN THE FLT; IS TO FEED ALL 3 ENGS FROM THE #2 TANK UNTIL ALL 3 TANKS HAVE THE SAME FUEL REMAINING. TO DO THIS; ALL 3 XFEEDS ARE USUALLY OPENED AND; IF THE BOOST PUMPS IN #2 ARE ON; THEY WILL OVERPWR THE OTHER BOOST PUMPS IF THEY ARE ON AND FEED ALL 3 ENGS FROM THE #2 TANK. THE MECHS SAID THAT THE #1 XFEED VALVE WAS WIRED OPEN AND WROTE IT UP IN THE LOGBOOK AS SUCH. ACTUALLY; THE #1 XFEED HAD BEEN WIRED CLOSED. THEREFORE; WHEN THE #2 BOOST PUMPS WERE TURNED ON; ENGS #2 AND #3 WERE FED BY THE #2 TANK BUT THE #1 ENG COULD GET NO FUEL FROM THE #2 TANK THROUGH THE XFEED VALVE AND DREW FUEL FROM THE #1 TANK. THE RESULTS: #1 TANK WAS BURNING FUEL AND #3 WAS NOT. THIS CAUSED THE FUEL IMBAL. BECAUSE THE #1 FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE WAS ALSO INOP; THIS WAS NOT APPARENT TO THE FLC. FURTHER; IF THE #1 ENG HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO BURN ALL THE FUEL IN THE #1 TANK; THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY TO FEED FUEL TO THAT ENG AND IT WOULD HAVE FLAMED OUT. THE ENRTE STOP AT AMA; OR SOME OTHER ALTERNATE; WAS THEIR ONLY RECOURSE.
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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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