Narrative:

The inbound crew brought the aircraft in with a placarded inoperative right fuel quantity gauge. Our company minimum equipment list requires that a cockpit crew member supervise the fueler while he reads the quantity from the drip stick. We read the MEL, but misunderstood the requirement and did not supervise the fueler. Contributing to our misunderstanding may have been the fact that we were slightly rushed to make an on time departure. One additional note on this incident was that a FAA inspector observed all of this incident and yet did not say anything until after the completion of the flight and then played 'gotcha'! If this inspector had been more concerned with the safe completion of the flight than with finding something to put into his report we could have operated this flight with a higher margin of safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLT CREW VIOLATES PROVISIONS OF MEL.

Narrative: THE INBND CREW BROUGHT THE ACFT IN WITH A PLACARDED INOPERATIVE R FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE. OUR COMPANY MINIMUM EQUIP LIST REQUIRES THAT A COCKPIT CREW MEMBER SUPERVISE THE FUELER WHILE HE READS THE QUANTITY FROM THE DRIP STICK. WE READ THE MEL, BUT MISUNDERSTOOD THE REQUIREMENT AND DID NOT SUPERVISE THE FUELER. CONTRIBUTING TO OUR MISUNDERSTANDING MAY HAVE BEEN THE FACT THAT WE WERE SLIGHTLY RUSHED TO MAKE AN ON TIME DEP. ONE ADDITIONAL NOTE ON THIS INCIDENT WAS THAT A FAA INSPECTOR OBSERVED ALL OF THIS INCIDENT AND YET DID NOT SAY ANYTHING UNTIL AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE FLT AND THEN PLAYED 'GOTCHA'! IF THIS INSPECTOR HAD BEEN MORE CONCERNED WITH THE SAFE COMPLETION OF THE FLT THAN WITH FINDING SOMETHING TO PUT INTO HIS RPT WE COULD HAVE OPERATED THIS FLT WITH A HIGHER MARGIN OF SAFETY.

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.