A B737-300 FO RPTED THAT THERE ARE CONFLICTING STATEMENTS IN THE OPS MANUAL REGARDING THE OP OF THE CTR TANK FUEL PUMP.
Synopsis
A B737-300 FO RPTED THAT THERE ARE CONFLICTING STATEMENTS IN THE OPS MANUAL REGARDING THE OP OF THE CTR TANK FUEL PUMP.
Narrative
I WAS THE FO ON FLT FROM SEA. WE HAD PUSHED AND TAXIED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND WE WERE CLRED POS AND HOLD RWY 16L. TAXIING ONTO THE RWY; WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. WHILE WE WERE TAXIING INTO POS; THE CAPT CALLED FOR 'BELOW THE LINE.' WHEN WE REACHED THE 'MASTER CAUTION' PART OF THE CHKLIST; THE FUEL LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. I LOOKED AT THE FUEL PANEL AND 1 CTR TANK FUEL PUMP LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CAPT SAID SOMETHING I DID NOT HEAR AND HE ADVANCED THE PWR LEVERS. I SAID 'WE NEED TO SHUT THE PUMPS OFF' AND HE REPLIED 'WE HAVE 1000 LBS' (IN THE CTR TANK). IN FACT; WE HAD OVER 1200 LBS IN THE CTR TANK. PWR WAS UP AND I DECIDED THIS WAS NOT THE TIME FOR DISCUSSION; SINCE IT WAS NOT AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY ISSUE. UPON REACHING THE HOTEL; I REVIEWED THE MANUAL AND IT STATES; 'CTR TANK FUEL PUMPS MUST NOT BE POSITIONED 'ON' UNLESS THE CTR TANK FUEL QUANTITY EXCEEDS 1000 LBS.' THE MANUAL THEN STATES 'CTR TANK FUEL PUMP SWITCHES MUST BE POSITIONED OFF WHEN BOTH CTR TANK FUEL PUMP PRESSURE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE.' THERE IS A NOTE THAT STATES; 'THE LIMITATION DOES NOT CHANGE THE EXISTING NORMAL PROC TO TURN THE CTR TANK PUMP SWITCHES TO 'OFF' AT THE FIRST INDICATION OF LOW PRESSURE IN EITHER PUMP.' WE HAD MET 2 OUT OF 3 CONDITIONS AND THE THIRD SEEMS TO CONTRADICT THE SECOND. DID I MENTION WE HAD AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR IN THE JUMPSEAT?
More incidents for this aircraft family →
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.