Narrative:

The right engine of air carrier light transport flight surged several times and the torque dropped to '0.' as the torque dropped, the fuel low pressure lights illuminated on the right side overhead panel as well as the fuel light on the multiple alarm panel. The boost fuel pumps on the right side were turned on unsuccessfully and the captain and I proceeded to follow company recommended procedures to shut down the right engine. We followed the engine failure checklist, declared an emergency, notified the flight attendant and passenger and landed at ewr. The passenger were deplaned in a normal manner. This incident occurred as a result of a faulty fuel indicator on the right fuel tank. The gauge read 500 pounds, but no fuel remained in the tank. As a result, the engine ran itself out of jet fuel. This was confirmed by maintenance control in ewr the next day. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporting first officer states that this aircraft has an automatic fueling system. Either the flight crew or ground fueling crew sets 'bugs' on the fuel gauges on a wing fuel panel, the refueling hose is connected, and the refueling stops where the 'bugs' are set. There are 'drip sticks' in the wings, but the flcs use these only when a cockpit fuel gauge is inoperative. The reporter does not know when or how often maintenance calibrates the cockpit and wing fuel gauges against the drip sticks. Basically, if the fuel gauge fails and reads high, the next refueling will end up with a low fuel level and the engine can run out of fuel with fuel indicated in the tank. The air carrier flight manual assumes that there is a major engine problem if an engine quits, so xfeeding is not suggested. Xfeeding is available. The reporter expects that there will be a change in the refueling procedure in his manual 'within the next 6 months.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT RAN 1 ENG TANK OUT OF FUEL.

Narrative: THE R ENG OF ACR LTT FLT SURGED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE TORQUE DROPPED TO '0.' AS THE TORQUE DROPPED, THE FUEL LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE R SIDE OVERHEAD PANEL AS WELL AS THE FUEL LIGHT ON THE MULTIPLE ALARM PANEL. THE BOOST FUEL PUMPS ON THE R SIDE WERE TURNED ON UNSUCCESSFULLY AND THE CAPT AND I PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW COMPANY RECOMMENDED PROCS TO SHUT DOWN THE R ENG. WE FOLLOWED THE ENG FAILURE CHKLIST, DECLARED AN EMER, NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX AND LANDED AT EWR. THE PAX WERE DEPLANED IN A NORMAL MANNER. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY FUEL INDICATOR ON THE R FUEL TANK. THE GAUGE READ 500 LBS, BUT NO FUEL REMAINED IN THE TANK. AS A RESULT, THE ENG RAN ITSELF OUT OF JET FUEL. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY MAINT CTL IN EWR THE NEXT DAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTING FO STATES THAT THIS ACFT HAS AN AUTOMATIC FUELING SYS. EITHER THE FLC OR GND FUELING CREW SETS 'BUGS' ON THE FUEL GAUGES ON A WING FUEL PANEL, THE REFUELING HOSE IS CONNECTED, AND THE REFUELING STOPS WHERE THE 'BUGS' ARE SET. THERE ARE 'DRIP STICKS' IN THE WINGS, BUT THE FLCS USE THESE ONLY WHEN A COCKPIT FUEL GAUGE IS INOP. THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHEN OR HOW OFTEN MAINT CALIBRATES THE COCKPIT AND WING FUEL GAUGES AGAINST THE DRIP STICKS. BASICALLY, IF THE FUEL GAUGE FAILS AND READS HIGH, THE NEXT REFUELING WILL END UP WITH A LOW FUEL LEVEL AND THE ENG CAN RUN OUT OF FUEL WITH FUEL INDICATED IN THE TANK. THE ACR FLT MANUAL ASSUMES THAT THERE IS A MAJOR ENG PROB IF AN ENG QUITS, SO XFEEDING IS NOT SUGGESTED. XFEEDING IS AVAILABLE. THE RPTR EXPECTS THAT THERE WILL BE A CHANGE IN THE REFUELING PROC IN HIS MANUAL 'WITHIN THE NEXT 6 MONTHS.'

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.