Air carrier widebody transport departs on international flight with insufficient fuel for flight to destination. Dumps fuel and returns to land at departure airport.

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Attributes
ACN	140338
Time
Date	199003
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 19000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
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
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	140333
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 16500 flight time type : 240
ASRS Report	139941
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Airlines scheduled passenger flight ewr to paris orly. Dispatch release fuel of approximately 150000 pounds. At time of departure I observed a little better than 15000 pounds on fuel totalizer gauge. First officer confirmed he had fuel slip and that drip sticks had been signed off by ewr maintenance personnel as being correct for 150000 pounds. After takeoff and departed ewr several immediate turns required. First officer was flying and noted aircraft required excessive aileron to maneuver. Checked engine power and trim controls--ok. Checked fuel tanks and noticed excessive imbalance between tanks #1 and #3. Trans fuel totalizer gauge now showed only 125000# of fuel. Not sufficient fuel to fly to paris. Dumped fuel to maximum landing weight and returned to ewr. It appeared that during refueling at ewr #1 fuel transmitter malfunctioned and registered erroneous amounts of fuel in #1 tank. During climb out after banking aircraft the transmitter reset itself to correct tank amount, which was low. I do not know how the drip sticks could have malfunctioned to show the erroneous amount also.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB DEPARTS ON INTERNATIONAL FLT WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL FOR FLT TO DESTINATION. DUMPS FUEL AND RETURNS TO LAND AT DEP ARPT.

Narrative: AIRLINES SCHEDULED PAX FLT EWR TO PARIS ORLY. DISPATCH RELEASE FUEL OF APPROX 150000 LBS. AT TIME OF DEP I OBSERVED A LITTLE BETTER THAN 15000 LBS ON FUEL TOTALIZER GAUGE. F/O CONFIRMED HE HAD FUEL SLIP AND THAT DRIP STICKS HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF BY EWR MAINT PERSONNEL AS BEING CORRECT FOR 150000 LBS. AFTER TKOF AND DEPARTED EWR SEVERAL IMMEDIATE TURNS REQUIRED. F/O WAS FLYING AND NOTED ACFT REQUIRED EXCESSIVE AILERON TO MANEUVER. CHKED ENG PWR AND TRIM CONTROLS--OK. CHKED FUEL TANKS AND NOTICED EXCESSIVE IMBALANCE BTWN TANKS #1 AND #3. TRANS FUEL TOTALIZER GAUGE NOW SHOWED ONLY 125000# OF FUEL. NOT SUFFICIENT FUEL TO FLY TO PARIS. DUMPED FUEL TO MAX LNDG WT AND RETURNED TO EWR. IT APPEARED THAT DURING REFUELING AT EWR #1 FUEL XMITTER MALFUNCTIONED AND REGISTERED ERRONEOUS AMOUNTS OF FUEL IN #1 TANK. DURING CLBOUT AFTER BANKING ACFT THE XMITTER RESET ITSELF TO CORRECT TANK AMOUNT, WHICH WAS LOW. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THE DRIP STICKS COULD HAVE MALFUNCTIONED TO SHOW THE ERRONEOUS AMOUNT ALSO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.