A B727-200 CREW RPT WHEN LEVELING OFF AT FL230 #3 TANK INDICATION WAS 1500 LBS OUT OF BAL. ON ARR AT DEST; FOUND #3 FUELING VALVE SWITCH IN OPEN POS ON FUELING PANEL.

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UPON REACHING FL230; THE FUEL IN TANK #3 WAS ABOUT 1500 LBS OUT OF BAL. WE OPENED THE #2 AND #3 XFEED VALVES WITH #3 BOOST PUMPS ON AND #1 XFEED VALVE CLOSED WITH ITS BOOST PUMPS ON FOR A FEW MINS. #3 TANK DIDN'T GO DOWN LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE; ALSO TANK #2 WITH BOOST PUMPS OFF CONTINUED TO GO DOWN. THEN WE CHKED ALL LIGHTS AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THEN WE OPENED #1 XFEED VALVE AND SHUT OFF BOOST PUMPS TO TANK #1. THIS ALSO DIDN'T SEEM TO BURN MUCH FUEL OUT OF TANK #3 BUT TANKS #1 AND #2 CONTINUED TO GO DOWN IN THIS CONFIGN. TRYING TO KEEP FUEL BALANCED AS GOOD AS WE COULD; BURNED OUT OF TANK #2 WITH 2 BOOST PUMPS TO FEED ENG #1 AND ENG #2. TANK #1 NO BOOST PUMPS ON THOUGH MAYBE A BAD FUEL GAUGE ON TANK #3 BUT WE DID FUEL CHKS AND THE BURN WAS ALWAYS CLOSE TO FLT PLAN BURN. THERE IS NO REAL COM PROC FOR THIS PROB. WE LANDED WITH 20.7 TOTAL. TANK #1 HAD ABOUT 4.2; TANK #3 HAD ABOUT 6.0; AND TANK #2 HAD ABOUT 10.5. THE FO SAID HE HAD SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE; WHEN THE FUEL PANEL SWITCHES WERE NOT CLOSED PROPERLY UNDERNEATH THE WING. AFTER LNDG WE SENT THE MECH TO CHK THE FUEL PANEL. HE SAID THE #3 FUEL SWITCH WAS NOT CLOSED. THIS SWITCH APPEARED TO BE THE PROB.