ACR MLG DIVERTED TO ALT WHEN FLT CREW WAS UNALBE TO RESOLVE AN INCIDATED FUEL TRANSFER PROBLEM.

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ENCOUNTERED A FUEL QUANTITY AND ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL FUEL PUMP PROBLEM WHICH POTENTIALLY MIGHT HAVE RESTR FUEL ON BOARD. DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT FOR LNDG. CTR CLRED DIRECT TO DULLES INT AND LANDED STRAIGHT. IN TO RWY 12. UNEVENTFUL LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE FLT CREW CLAIMS THEY SAW FUEL TRANSFER FROM THE WING TANKS TO THE CENTER TANK AND WHEN THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED THEY DECIDED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. FAA IS INVESTIGATING CLAIMING THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AND SAYING THE PROBLEM MUST HAVE BEEN FLT CREW MISMANAGEMENT OF THE FUEL BURN. F/O HAS HEARD OF ONE OTHER CASE OF THIS IMPOSSIBLE TRANSFER TAKING PLACE BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE FLT CREW INVOLVED DID NOT DOCUMENT THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE FLT CREW NOTICED THE FUEL TRANSFER THEY ATTEMPTED TO BURN OUT OF THE CENTER TANK BUT THE CENTER TANK BOOST PUMP C/B KEPT OPENING AND AFTER LNDG A BROKEN WIRE WAS FOUND IN THE C/B PANEL. MAINT ALSO CHANGED THE CENTER TANK FUEL GAUGE AS IT WAS FOUND TO BE IN ERROR. ACFT MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE SITUATION BUT THEY ALSO SAY THAT THE FUEL CANNOT FLOW BACK INTO THE CENTER TANK.