An Airwork Flight Operations Boeing 737-400F operated a Trans-Tasman flight with key fuel pumps switched off, increasing the possibility that its engines would suffer fuel starvation.
The incident took place on 7 June 2022 when the aircraft (ZK-TLL) operated an overnight 3h flight on the Sydney-Auckland route with two crew aboard, according to New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) in its final report into the incident.
After landing in Auckland, the crew noticed that the jet’s centre fuel tank still had 4,000kg (8,800lb) of fuel, but only minimum fuel remained in the two main wing tanks, which feed the jet’s CFM International CFM56 engines.
The inquiry learned that the centre pumps responsible for moving fuel to the wing tanks had not been selected during the engine start procedure in Sydney.
The TAIC believes that the oversight was probably attributable to crew distraction owing to a last-minute change to the departure runway in Sydney, as well as an impending airport curfew.
“The centre fuel pumps were not switched on as required by the Before start procedure, and this omission was not captured by the crew completing the Before start checklist,” says the TAIC.
“If not detected, this omission has the potential to cause fuel starvation to the engines, increasing the risk of an accident occurring.”
The report says that if the crew had needed to do a go-around in Auckland, it was “likely that the fuel in the main tanks would have been exhausted during the manoeuvre.”
The TAIC also found discrepancies in the flight plan, specifically the selection of non-compliant alternate aerodromes. In addition, the crew did not receive weather updates and flight planning for the flight as prescribed in company manuals.
The TAIC says the incident is a reminder that it is imperative for crews to follow check lists involving key systems, and that procedures detailed in manuals need to be followed. Alternate aerodrome planning needs to comply with both regulators and the operator.
As a result of the incident, the operator has updated its checklist to ensure the centre fuel pumps are correctly configured before take-off. it has also added a system that alerts pilots to any Notice to Airman that affects its operations.
