Air carrier widebody transport lands short of destination due to improper and an inadequate fuel load. #2 fuel gauge known to be inaccurate prior to departure.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	126215
Time
Date	198910
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zoa
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff cruise other
Route In Use	departure other enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	126215
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 335
ASRS Report	126235
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

#2 fuel gauge decreased to an amount 13,000 pounds lower than #1 and #3 (they should have been even). Further investigation revealed a discrepancy between the fueler's fuel on board (prior to fueling) and the aircraft logbook. This discrepancy should have been noticed by second officer prior to departure. Made an unscheduled landing en route due to not enough fuel to make destination. When aircraft was fueled the #2 fuel gauge was reaching 13,000 pounds too high. Gauge returned to accurate reading during initial cruise. This fuel gauge was tested prior to departure 3 different ways and passed all tests even though it was inaccurate. Supplemental information from acn 126235: a review of boarded fuel found an error on flight engineer's procedure, which would have caught the error at sfo. We were 13,000 pounds short, and a decision was made to divert to denver, landing with 25,000 pounds. F/east was new in aircraft and just hired by airlines - one month.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB LANDS SHORT OF DESTINATION DUE TO IMPROPER AND AN INADEQUATE FUEL LOAD. #2 FUEL GAUGE KNOWN TO BE INACCURATE PRIOR TO DEP.

Narrative: #2 FUEL GAUGE DECREASED TO AN AMOUNT 13,000 LBS LOWER THAN #1 AND #3 (THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN). FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE FUELER'S FUEL ON BOARD (PRIOR TO FUELING) AND THE ACFT LOGBOOK. THIS DISCREPANCY SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTICED BY S/O PRIOR TO DEP. MADE AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG ENRTE DUE TO NOT ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE DEST. WHEN ACFT WAS FUELED THE #2 FUEL GAUGE WAS REACHING 13,000 LBS TOO HIGH. GAUGE RETURNED TO ACCURATE READING DURING INITIAL CRUISE. THIS FUEL GAUGE WAS TESTED PRIOR TO DEP 3 DIFFERENT WAYS AND PASSED ALL TESTS EVEN THOUGH IT WAS INACCURATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 126235: A REVIEW OF BOARDED FUEL FOUND AN ERROR ON FLT ENGINEER'S PROC, WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR AT SFO. WE WERE 13,000 LBS SHORT, AND A DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO DENVER, LNDG WITH 25,000 LBS. F/E WAS NEW IN ACFT AND JUST HIRED BY AIRLINES - ONE MONTH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.