B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting; Time Pressure
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Diverted; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
Climbing through approximately FL310 we noticed a fuel imbalance between the left and right tank. The left fuel gauge was yellow and 1;000 pounds out of balance. As we were trying to determine the cause of the imbalance it worsened to 1;500 pounds in less than a couple of minutes. The Captain thought the most prudent and safest course of action would be to land short since we may have a fuel leak in the left tank. I agreed. In the 10 minutes it took to descend the fuel was now 2;000 pounds out of balance. Since an emergency was declared we decided that it would be best to land out of balance and thereby violating the AFM fuel balance limitation.
A B-737 crew declared an emergency and diverted after a 1;000 pound fuel imbalance developed and upon landing the imbalance was 2;000 pounds.