Narrative:

#3 fuel qty gauge inoperative. MEL says drain tanks and fuel with a known quantity of fuel. When I arrived at aircraft in clt, mechanic was filling out logbook, stating tank had been emptied and a known quantity was boarded in tank #3. I flew aircraft to phl. Phl-boston release called for 35000 pounds minimum fuel. Flight engine had maintained fuel log for clt-phl leg so according to MEL a known quantity was added to #3 tank and fuel load was balanced to 35000 pounds in tanks #1 and 2. Upon landing at boston on knowing I was scheduled to take same aircraft in morning bos-clt, I requested that maintenance and fueler come to aircraft and fuel to 330000 pounds for morning flight out. I was told this was not necessary that the aircraft was going to the hangar for maintenance. Upon arrival at aircraft in morning aircraft was being fueled. I informed a mechanic and fueler that tank #3 would have to be defueled and a known quantity pumped on board. The fueler advised me he was pumping a known quantity on board. I again stated that was not the correct way, that #3 tank would have to be defueled and then a known quantity pumped on board. A mechanic was called, he came on board and stated that the 'sticks were pulled and fuel amount calculated.' I asked if the aircraft had been leveled and he said within 1/4 bubble. I requested that he enter this in the logbook. He stated he needed to call the 'lead mechanic'. The lead mechanic came on board and stated that the aircraft had been defueled during the night and the other people were unaware of this and that a known quantity was being put on board. I requested that he make the correct entry in the logbook. He then entered in aircraft logbook. 'Fueled #3 with known quantity of fuel.' I stated that this entry was not good enough and that he would have to state that #3 tank had been pumped dry and refueled with a known quantity. Lead mechanic then added that to the logbook entry which read 'fueled #3 with known quantity of fuel. Pumped tank dry and refueled.' the fuel slip I was given does not reflect that. The lead mechanic, in my opinion, falsified the logbook. Based on the fuel log maintained by the engineer and the fuel slip given me in boston and assuming that the APU operated 9 hours out of tank #1 the total fuel added would be correct within 900 pounds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEL #3 FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INOPERATIVE. COMPANY POLICY REQUIRES DRAINING TANK AND REFUELING WITH KNOWN QUANTITY. REPORTER SUSPECTS GND PERSONNEL DID NOT DRAIN TANK AND FALSIFIED LOGBOOK.

Narrative: #3 FUEL QTY GAUGE INOPERATIVE. MEL SAYS DRAIN TANKS AND FUEL WITH A KNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL. WHEN I ARRIVED AT ACFT IN CLT, MECH WAS FILLING OUT LOGBOOK, STATING TANK HAD BEEN EMPTIED AND A KNOWN QUANTITY WAS BOARDED IN TANK #3. I FLEW ACFT TO PHL. PHL-BOSTON RELEASE CALLED FOR 35000 LBS MINIMUM FUEL. FLT ENG HAD MAINTAINED FUEL LOG FOR CLT-PHL LEG SO ACCORDING TO MEL A KNOWN QUANTITY WAS ADDED TO #3 TANK AND FUEL LOAD WAS BALANCED TO 35000 LBS IN TANKS #1 AND 2. UPON LNDG AT BOSTON ON KNOWING I WAS SCHEDULED TO TAKE SAME ACFT IN MORNING BOS-CLT, I REQUESTED THAT MAINT AND FUELER COME TO ACFT AND FUEL TO 330000 LBS FOR MORNING FLT OUT. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY THAT THE ACFT WAS GOING TO THE HANGAR FOR MAINT. UPON ARR AT ACFT IN MORNING ACFT WAS BEING FUELED. I INFORMED A MECH AND FUELER THAT TANK #3 WOULD HAVE TO BE DEFUELED AND A KNOWN QUANTITY PUMPED ON BOARD. THE FUELER ADVISED ME HE WAS PUMPING A KNOWN QUANTITY ON BOARD. I AGAIN STATED THAT WAS NOT THE CORRECT WAY, THAT #3 TANK WOULD HAVE TO BE DEFUELED AND THEN A KNOWN QUANTITY PUMPED ON BOARD. A MECH WAS CALLED, HE CAME ON BOARD AND STATED THAT THE 'STICKS WERE PULLED AND FUEL AMOUNT CALCULATED.' I ASKED IF THE ACFT HAD BEEN LEVELED AND HE SAID WITHIN 1/4 BUBBLE. I REQUESTED THAT HE ENTER THIS IN THE LOGBOOK. HE STATED HE NEEDED TO CALL THE 'LEAD MECH'. THE LEAD MECH CAME ON BOARD AND STATED THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN DEFUELED DURING THE NIGHT AND THE OTHER PEOPLE WERE UNAWARE OF THIS AND THAT A KNOWN QUANTITY WAS BEING PUT ON BOARD. I REQUESTED THAT HE MAKE THE CORRECT ENTRY IN THE LOGBOOK. HE THEN ENTERED IN ACFT LOGBOOK. 'FUELED #3 WITH KNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL.' I STATED THAT THIS ENTRY WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO STATE THAT #3 TANK HAD BEEN PUMPED DRY AND REFUELED WITH A KNOWN QUANTITY. LEAD MECH THEN ADDED THAT TO THE LOGBOOK ENTRY WHICH READ 'FUELED #3 WITH KNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL. PUMPED TANK DRY AND REFUELED.' THE FUEL SLIP I WAS GIVEN DOES NOT REFLECT THAT. THE LEAD MECH, IN MY OPINION, FALSIFIED THE LOGBOOK. BASED ON THE FUEL LOG MAINTAINED BY THE ENGINEER AND THE FUEL SLIP GIVEN ME IN BOSTON AND ASSUMING THAT THE APU OPERATED 9 HRS OUT OF TANK #1 THE TOTAL FUEL ADDED WOULD BE CORRECT WITHIN 900 LBS.

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.