ALL WHITE LIGHTS OFF

Disclaimer: 

▪︎This content is Not an official document and does not represent the views of Airbus or any other aviation authority.

▪︎The information provided may be incorrect or misinterpreted and should not be relied upon for decision-making. 

▪︎Always refer to official documents and consult with a qualified aviation professional before making any decisions based on the information provided in this blog post.

▪︎The information provided in this blog post is based on personal study and review.

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All white lights off 

 

During cockpit preparation of the A320 aircraft, all white lights on the overhead panel should be off. This includes the fuel pumps, even though they are turned off during parking according to the procedure.

 

However, in practice, many crews, including myself, often leave the fuel pumps off during refueling and only turn them on once refueling is completed. Although this deviation from the manual procedure is not recommended, it is a common practice observed among crews.

 

 

It's worth noting that Airbus Safety Magazine #30 highlighted the risk of fuel spillage due to crews leaving the fuel mode select push button switch unduly in the 'MAN' position on the ground when the center tank left and right transfer push-button switches are not in the 'OFF' position.

This caution is also outlined in the Flight Crew Operating Manual (FCOM) procedure

 

 

 

Comparison of the fuel feeding system of the A320 family with and without fuel transfer jet pumps.

 

there are a320 family aircraft without fuel transfer jet pumps and with fuel transfer jet pumps.

airbus safety megazine #30

 

 

Even though the name of the mode selector pushbutton switch is the same for both configurations, 

the one equipped with fuel transfer jet pumps is referred to as the 'CTR Tank Left and Right Transfer Pushbutton Switch, ' while the one without fuel transfer jet pumps is known as the 'Center Tank Pumps Switch.

 

 

 

Aircrafts with fuel transfer jet pumps. 

 

For aircraft equipped with fuel transfer jet pumps, selecting the manual mode on the mode selector pushbutton switch causes the transfer valve to open, provided that the center tank left/right transfer pushbutton switch is turned on.

this causes possilbe fuel spillage during refueling. 

 

 

 

Aircraft without fuel transfer jet pumps. 

For aircraft without fuel transfer jet pumps, if the MAN mode is selected on the mode selector pushbutton, and the center tank pump pushbutton is activated, the pumps will run.

 

 

In conclusion, if the mode selector pushbutton is set to manual and the center tank transfer pushbutton (CTR TK XFR) is activated, illuminating only the manual mode selector on the overhead panel, crews should avoid this configuration.

Crews might turn off all the fuel pumps, including the mode selector switch, which is on the same line as the fuel switches during parking procedures, and sometimes leave them off during refueling.

During cockpit preparation, crews may only activate the fuel pumps, excluding the manual mode selector switch, 

because they are accustomed to turning on only the fuel pumps, not the mode selector switch.

In such a scenario, this aligns precisely with the concern highlighted in the Airbus Safety Magazine regarding this issue.