Narrative:

Aircraft was accepted for flight with an inoperative #2 fuel gauge.in accordance with the MEL, we were given a fuel slip and I checked the drip stick reading against the operating manual for correct quantity. Assured that all was as it should be, we began our trip from ny, to toronto with a fuel load of 20800 pounds (6900 pounds per tank). During the short taxi, I set the fuel panel up on accordance with the operating manual. As we taxied we lost #2 constant speed drive pressure, so we disconnected the ced and taxied back to the hangar line for maintenance verification and placarding. The engines were shut down while on the hangar line. After maintenance, taxi and takeoff were uneventful. During cruise at FL310 and about 60 DME east of buf, the left aft boost pump low pressure light came on. I told the captain and we checked the possible causes and options. We referred to the operating manual, deciding on an en route descent to runway 23 at yyz. During descent I called maintenance to alert them of a possible grounding write-up if the boost pump was inoperative. At about this time, the right aft boost pump light came on indicating that we probably were low on fuel in the #2 tank. Now we felt that we had been shorted on fuel in the #2 tank. The checklist called for opening all xfeeds and turning on all boost pumps. Since this was an large transport we knew that all the remaining fuel in #2 tank would be used to feed all 3 engines but it would also prevent a flameout of #2 engine. During short final and rollout the remaining 2 boost pump lights came on. During taxi, I tried to start the APU but it would not because there was no fuel in the #2 tank. The yyz fueler confirmed the #2 tank was empty with about 4500 each in #1 and #3 tanks, times on the ground at lga prior to the flight are as follows. We shut down at the gate at xa:03Z with 13200 pounds of fuel, assuming an equal burn because the #2 fuel gauge was inoperative. The APU was left running to provide cooling for the cabin. We were pushed from the gate at xa:49Z and engines were started about 2 to 3 mins later. After our initial ground problem we shut down all the engines and it took a few mins for the maintenance crew to open the door again at xb:40 and took off at xb:51. We landed at yyz at xc:42. I think the parking spot may not have been level, causing the fueler to misread the drip stick and causing us to be shorted fuel.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT WITH #2 FUEL GAUGE INOPERATIVE DEPARTS LGA WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED FUEL IN THE #2 TANK.

Narrative: ACFT WAS ACCEPTED FOR FLT WITH AN INOP #2 FUEL GAUGE.IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEL, WE WERE GIVEN A FUEL SLIP AND I CHKED THE DRIP STICK READING AGAINST THE OPERATING MANUAL FOR CORRECT QUANTITY. ASSURED THAT ALL WAS AS IT SHOULD BE, WE BEGAN OUR TRIP FROM NY, TO TORONTO WITH A FUEL LOAD OF 20800 LBS (6900 LBS PER TANK). DURING THE SHORT TAXI, I SET THE FUEL PANEL UP ON ACCORDANCE WITH THE OPERATING MANUAL. AS WE TAXIED WE LOST #2 CONSTANT SPD DRIVE PRESSURE, SO WE DISCONNECTED THE CED AND TAXIED BACK TO THE HANGAR LINE FOR MAINT VERIFICATION AND PLACARDING. THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN WHILE ON THE HANGAR LINE. AFTER MAINT, TAXI AND TKOF WERE UNEVENTFUL. DURING CRUISE AT FL310 AND ABOUT 60 DME E OF BUF, THE L AFT BOOST PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOLD THE CAPT AND WE CHKED THE POSSIBLE CAUSES AND OPTIONS. WE REFERRED TO THE OPERATING MANUAL, DECIDING ON AN ENRTE DSNT TO RWY 23 AT YYZ. DURING DSNT I CALLED MAINT TO ALERT THEM OF A POSSIBLE GNDING WRITE-UP IF THE BOOST PUMP WAS INOP. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, THE R AFT BOOST PUMP LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING THAT WE PROBABLY WERE LOW ON FUEL IN THE #2 TANK. NOW WE FELT THAT WE HAD BEEN SHORTED ON FUEL IN THE #2 TANK. THE CHKLIST CALLED FOR OPENING ALL XFEEDS AND TURNING ON ALL BOOST PUMPS. SINCE THIS WAS AN LGT WE KNEW THAT ALL THE REMAINING FUEL IN #2 TANK WOULD BE USED TO FEED ALL 3 ENGS BUT IT WOULD ALSO PREVENT A FLAMEOUT OF #2 ENG. DURING SHORT FINAL AND ROLLOUT THE REMAINING 2 BOOST PUMP LIGHTS CAME ON. DURING TAXI, I TRIED TO START THE APU BUT IT WOULD NOT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE #2 TANK. THE YYZ FUELER CONFIRMED THE #2 TANK WAS EMPTY WITH ABOUT 4500 EACH IN #1 AND #3 TANKS, TIMES ON THE GND AT LGA PRIOR TO THE FLT ARE AS FOLLOWS. WE SHUT DOWN AT THE GATE AT XA:03Z WITH 13200 LBS OF FUEL, ASSUMING AN EQUAL BURN BECAUSE THE #2 FUEL GAUGE WAS INOP. THE APU WAS LEFT RUNNING TO PROVIDE COOLING FOR THE CABIN. WE WERE PUSHED FROM THE GATE AT XA:49Z AND ENGS WERE STARTED ABOUT 2 TO 3 MINS LATER. AFTER OUR INITIAL GND PROB WE SHUT DOWN ALL THE ENGS AND IT TOOK A FEW MINS FOR THE MAINT CREW TO OPEN THE DOOR AGAIN AT XB:40 AND TOOK OFF AT XB:51. WE LANDED AT YYZ AT XC:42. I THINK THE PARKING SPOT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN LEVEL, CAUSING THE FUELER TO MISREAD THE DRIP STICK AND CAUSING US TO BE SHORTED FUEL.

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.