Lessons Learned: Importance of Checklist Diligence

Checklist diligence played a large part in diversion due to fuel imbalance and engine shutdown.

In this report, we learn about the importance of checklist diligence in the case of a Boeing 737’s crossfeed valve unclosed after a preflight fuel transfer.

Later, the matter of checklist diligence not being utilized resulted in a fuel imbalance warning which led to the flight crew unnecessarily shutting down one of the aircraft’s engines, an ATSB (Australian Transport Safety Bureau) investigation report details.

Just after reaching cruise altitude on a Perth to Adelaide flight on 25 October 2021, the captain and first officer of a Qantas 737 were alerted to a fuel imbalance, indicating there were unequal quantities of fuel in the left and right main fuel tanks, located in each wing of the aircraft.

Read the entire investigative report here.

Content/photo source/credit: ATSB, “Diversion due to fuel imbalance and engine shutdown emphasises importance of checklist diligence,” published 2/28/2024.

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