Narrative:

Upon accepting the aircraft, we discovered that the #3 fuel tank quantity indicator had previously been written up for a 1500 pounds error and was placarded inoperative. The flight manual procedure for such a case is to empty the tank completely and refuel it to the required level using the fuel truck gauges to indicate the quantity xferred. During preflight, the fueling specialist came to the cockpit and stated that he was refueling the #3 tank, and that he had set the dripstick to 15' so that he would know when the tank reached 11500 pounds. Because it is well known that fueling the wing tanks based on dripstick readings is strictly prohibited, I assumed that he was using the dripstick as a backup or to expedite the refueling, and that he was metering the fuel from the truck. Considering the short time remaining to scheduled departure this seemed plausible. A later conversation with the captain revealed that he had made the same assumption. Immediately after rotation, the left wing dropped a significant amount. During climb out, the captain used about 1 1/2 degrees of right aileron trim and 1-2 degrees of right rudder trim. The captain surmised that the aircraft had been incorrectly fueled. We fed #1 and #3 engines from #1 tank until #1 tank indicated 1500 pounds above #3 tank and no trim was necessary to maintain wings level. We estimated that the latitude fuel imbalance at takeoff had been about 2500 pounds, 1500 pounds greater than the maximum permitted by the flight manual. We contacted the dispatcher and had him query the fueling office. After an initial denial and a second call, the fueling supervisor confirmed that the dripstick had been used exclusively in fueling the #3 tank, and estimated the deficiency at 3000#. I consulted the inches to pounds conversion chart for #2 tank (the OM does not include one for #3 tank) and found that the reading on the fuel slip, 15.2', corresponded to 11500 pounds, the release fuel load for #3 tank. Dispatch issued a re-release and we continued to our destination, toronto, ontario.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT IMPROPERLY REFUELED TO TANK WITH INOPERATIVE FUEL GAUGE. FLT DEPARTED OUT OF BALANCE AND LESS THAN RELEASED FUEL.

Narrative: UPON ACCEPTING THE ACFT, WE DISCOVERED THAT THE #3 FUEL TANK QUANTITY INDICATOR HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN WRITTEN UP FOR A 1500 LBS ERROR AND WAS PLACARDED INOP. THE FLT MANUAL PROC FOR SUCH A CASE IS TO EMPTY THE TANK COMPLETELY AND REFUEL IT TO THE REQUIRED LEVEL USING THE FUEL TRUCK GAUGES TO INDICATE THE QUANTITY XFERRED. DURING PREFLT, THE FUELING SPECIALIST CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND STATED THAT HE WAS REFUELING THE #3 TANK, AND THAT HE HAD SET THE DRIPSTICK TO 15' SO THAT HE WOULD KNOW WHEN THE TANK REACHED 11500 LBS. BECAUSE IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT FUELING THE WING TANKS BASED ON DRIPSTICK READINGS IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, I ASSUMED THAT HE WAS USING THE DRIPSTICK AS A BACKUP OR TO EXPEDITE THE REFUELING, AND THAT HE WAS METERING THE FUEL FROM THE TRUCK. CONSIDERING THE SHORT TIME REMAINING TO SCHEDULED DEP THIS SEEMED PLAUSIBLE. A LATER CONVERSATION WITH THE CAPT REVEALED THAT HE HAD MADE THE SAME ASSUMPTION. IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROTATION, THE LEFT WING DROPPED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT. DURING CLBOUT, THE CAPT USED ABOUT 1 1/2 DEGS OF RIGHT AILERON TRIM AND 1-2 DEGS OF RIGHT RUDDER TRIM. THE CAPT SURMISED THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN INCORRECTLY FUELED. WE FED #1 AND #3 ENGS FROM #1 TANK UNTIL #1 TANK INDICATED 1500 LBS ABOVE #3 TANK AND NO TRIM WAS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN WINGS LEVEL. WE ESTIMATED THAT THE LAT FUEL IMBALANCE AT TKOF HAD BEEN ABOUT 2500 LBS, 1500 LBS GREATER THAN THE MAX PERMITTED BY THE FLT MANUAL. WE CONTACTED THE DISPATCHER AND HAD HIM QUERY THE FUELING OFFICE. AFTER AN INITIAL DENIAL AND A SECOND CALL, THE FUELING SUPVR CONFIRMED THAT THE DRIPSTICK HAD BEEN USED EXCLUSIVELY IN FUELING THE #3 TANK, AND ESTIMATED THE DEFICIENCY AT 3000#. I CONSULTED THE INCHES TO POUNDS CONVERSION CHART FOR #2 TANK (THE OM DOES NOT INCLUDE ONE FOR #3 TANK) AND FOUND THAT THE READING ON THE FUEL SLIP, 15.2', CORRESPONDED TO 11500 LBS, THE RELEASE FUEL LOAD FOR #3 TANK. DISPATCH ISSUED A RE-RELEASE AND WE CONTINUED TO OUR DEST, TORONTO, ONTARIO.

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.