Air carrier medium large transport experiences fuel imbal problem due improper fuel servicing.

Attributes
ACN	210782
Time
Date	199205
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : azo
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	210782
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Received aircraft for first flight of the day, left fuel gauge inoperative and on MEL. Fuelers refused to stick tanks, said they would just top them off. I believed this to be in compliance with MEL trusting that the captain or fuelers had already checked. Well... The fuelers managed to fill one tank and not the other. The captain noticed right away, on rotation, the imbal. The airplane was well within our control and we continued to destination. Other aircraft may not be so forgiving, and I will no longer be so trusting. Upon landing and sticking the tanks (pilots are not provided charts) we had a 3300 pound imbal (6000 right, 2700 left). Each plane should have the charts, so that we may stick the tanks on our own.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG EXPERIENCES FUEL IMBAL PROBLEM DUE IMPROPER FUEL SVCING.

Narrative: RECEIVED ACFT FOR FIRST FLT OF THE DAY, L FUEL GAUGE INOP AND ON MEL. FUELERS REFUSED TO STICK TANKS, SAID THEY WOULD JUST TOP THEM OFF. I BELIEVED THIS TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH MEL TRUSTING THAT THE CAPT OR FUELERS HAD ALREADY CHKED. WELL... THE FUELERS MANAGED TO FILL ONE TANK AND NOT THE OTHER. THE CAPT NOTICED RIGHT AWAY, ON ROTATION, THE IMBAL. THE AIRPLANE WAS WELL WITHIN OUR CTL AND WE CONTINUED TO DEST. OTHER ACFT MAY NOT BE SO FORGIVING, AND I WILL NO LONGER BE SO TRUSTING. UPON LNDG AND STICKING THE TANKS (PLTS ARE NOT PROVIDED CHARTS) WE HAD A 3300 POUND IMBAL (6000 R, 2700 L). EACH PLANE SHOULD HAVE THE CHARTS, SO THAT WE MAY STICK THE TANKS ON OUR OWN.

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.