B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Other / Unknown; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
General Release Refused / Aircraft Not Accepted
Aircraft; Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
Flight to VHHH #4 fuel crossfeed deferred; wired open. I refused to take the aircraft due to safety concerns which I will discuss in the second part of this. The first part is the refusal itself. After about a thirty minute discussion with maintenance and a much shorter discussion with dispatch; I notified dispatch that I wouldn't take the airplane. At one point during this process; a flight manager came to our table to find out what was going on. He was polite and respectful but with all due respect; not helpful. While waiting to find out what the plan was; another flight manager; called me on my cell phone. I only picked up because it was a [familiar] area code; I have family there; so I picked up. This conversation was uncomfortable for me; kind of creepy. I say creepy because here 'some guy' from [flight] Ops tracks me down; calls my cell phone from his personal phone; to insert himself in a process in which I don't need help; and haven't asked for it. I spent about five minutes explaining to him why I wouldn't take the airplane; with a bit of explanation about how the fuel system works (he is not 747 qualified). I really didn't mind talking to him because he asked; and I had time. However; after this explanation; he said something like 'okay; I understand you're refusing a legal airplane?' This statement is insulting and disrespectful. It made me so angry; it was all I could do to just say politely; 'I have to go' and hanging up. Evidently; this was a 'legal' airplane because deferring the #4 crossfeed valve is legal. There are several reasons I think this is not safe. First; the aircraft has a very complicated fuel system that 'assumes' all of the system is working normally. When you take away a critical component like a crossfeed valve; it has some definite effects on the fuel system. My discussion with maintenance confirmed that all four crossfeed indicators would be blank on the fuel system synoptic; not just the affected system. So; we would have no indications on the lower EICAS where the crossfeed valves are. When we go tank to engine; fuel will start gravity feeding into number 3 tank and will cause an imbalance. We can fix this by using override pumps. Are we going to be doing this on short final into VHHH after being up all night? I don't know. We could close the #3 crossfeed valve that would help. Are we directed to do that by the MEL? I don't know. I never saw the full MEL just what was on the release. The QRH procedure; Fuel Stab Xfr tells us to close the #4 crossfeed valve. We can't. Now what do we do? I'm not sure. Does the MEL address this? I don't know. QRH Fuel Leak Engine has you close the #4 crossfeed valve. Can't do that. Now what? I don't know. Does the MEL address this? I don't know. Are there more procedures in the QRH that have us moving that crossfeed valve? Most likely. What are they? I don't know.These are way too many questions to have to consider. To consider taking this aircraft across the Pacific; leaving a maintenance base; handing the airplane off to another crew in VHHH who will have to again; fly across the Pacific should never have gotten to me. This deferral should not be allowed. There are too many procedures; regular and irregular; that require this crossfeed valve. Secondly; for flight managers to insert themselves in this process is at the very least disrespectful and really a disruption of flight crews in their required duties. It is unsafe; and in my opinion; a violation of the FARs.
B747 Captain reports refusing an aircraft for a long over water flight due to the #4 fuel crossfeed valve being MEL'ed and wired open.