B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 126
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Weight And Balance; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
While climbing out of MCI; Captain verbalized turning of cross feed; however; I failed to crosscheck the switch position as I was talking to ATC at the time. We both noticed an unusual control wheel position at about the same time when the Captain noticed the fuel imbalance (3;500 pounds). We cross feed the fuel back to a zero differential prior to landing.
While climbing out of MCI; we were being vectored to TWAIN. At approximately 11;500 feet; the center wing tank low pressure fuel light flashed. There were thunderstorms rapidly moving into the area; light to moderate turbulence and busy radios. I acknowledged the low pressure light and verbalized turning the pump off and closing the cross feed valve. Somehow I missed actually closing the cross feed valve. Sometime later while in cruise flight I noticed the yoke was displaced and I checked the fuel quantity gauges. There was a 3;500 pound imbalance. I immediately began to correct the imbalance and then notified Dispatch via ACARS. The balance was corrected to zero prior to landing.I should have double-checked that I turned the cross feed valve off. I also should have looked at the fuel gauges sooner; and I would have noticed an imbalance developing prior to it becoming such a large imbalance.
During climbout a Captain of B737; while turning off the center fuel tank pumps; failed to close the Fuel Crossfeed Valve which resulted in a fuel tank imbalance. The fuel tank balance was restored prior to landing.