Narrative:

Arrived at aircraft to find #2 fuel quantity indicator inoperative, as recorded in the maintenance log. Maintenance informed me that the #2 fuel tank had been drained into tanks #1 and #3 so that a known quantity could be added to tank #2, per company procedure. The minimum and suggested fuel loads for the trip were 27000 pounds, and this is what the captain requested. I determined that, after fueling, the wing tanks should each indicate 9000 pounds, and that 1343 gallons (9000 pounds at 6.7 pounds/gallon) should be added to tank #2. The fueler agreed, and went to complete the task while I completed my other preflight duties. Our company requires that, prior to departure, the fueler is to deliver a form with all pertinent fuel information to the so. The so then conducts a boarded fuel check by multiplying gallons added by 6.7 and adding this quantity to the fuel on board prior to fueling. The result should equal the requested fuel load plus or minus 4 percent. Departure time came and went, and we still had not received the fueling form. Finally, a different fueler arrived with our fuel form, and I conducted the boarded fuel check. The fuel form indicated that, prior to fueling, the wing tanks each contained 8000 pounds and the #2 tank was empty. The form furthest indicated that a total of 1347 gallons had been added to the aircraft. 1347 gallons X 6.7 pounds/gallon = 9025 pounds. When added to the 16000 pounds originally on board, you get 25000 pounds total, 2000 pounds less than we requested. The #1 and #3 fuel quantity indicators each showed 9000 pounds, with #2 inoperative. I suspected that the 1347 gallons that I had asked to be loaded into tank #2, had been partially added to tanks #1 and #3 in order to reach 9000 pounds in each, with the remainder loaded into tank #2. I queried the fueler, who said that he didn't understand and would get the original fueler. The original fueler also seemed confused by my question, and insisted that he had loaded 1347 gallons in tank #2. The captain was growing impatient with this discussion as it was now approximately 7 mins after our scheduled departure time. He said that he could see 9000 pounds of fuel in each wing tank, and that he believed the fueler had added the fuel properly to tank #2. When I protested that the gallons added to the preboarded fuel did not add up to the requested fuel, he said that he would sign off on the fuel form, and that the preboarded fuel indicated on the form must be in effect. I corrected the form and we proceeded uneventfully to our destination. Upon arrival, we drained tank #2 into tanks #3 per company procedure. What we found was approximately 2000 pounds less than we expected to find on board. I believe that the pressure to make schedule compelled this captain to disregard conflicting information concerning our fuel load. I then gave into this captain. While we landed at our destination with plenty of extra fuel, if I had to do this over again, I would not agree to go until the conflict was resolved to the satisfaction of the entire crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B-727 TOOK OFF WITH A LOW FUEL LOAD.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT ACFT TO FIND #2 FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR INOP, AS RECORDED IN THE MAINT LOG. MAINT INFORMED ME THAT THE #2 FUEL TANK HAD BEEN DRAINED INTO TANKS #1 AND #3 SO THAT A KNOWN QUANTITY COULD BE ADDED TO TANK #2, PER COMPANY PROC. THE MINIMUM AND SUGGESTED FUEL LOADS FOR THE TRIP WERE 27000 LBS, AND THIS IS WHAT THE CAPT REQUESTED. I DETERMINED THAT, AFTER FUELING, THE WING TANKS SHOULD EACH INDICATE 9000 LBS, AND THAT 1343 GALLONS (9000 LBS AT 6.7 LBS/GALLON) SHOULD BE ADDED TO TANK #2. THE FUELER AGREED, AND WENT TO COMPLETE THE TASK WHILE I COMPLETED MY OTHER PREFLT DUTIES. OUR COMPANY REQUIRES THAT, PRIOR TO DEP, THE FUELER IS TO DELIVER A FORM WITH ALL PERTINENT FUEL INFO TO THE SO. THE SO THEN CONDUCTS A BOARDED FUEL CHK BY MULTIPLYING GALLONS ADDED BY 6.7 AND ADDING THIS QUANTITY TO THE FUEL ON BOARD PRIOR TO FUELING. THE RESULT SHOULD EQUAL THE REQUESTED FUEL LOAD PLUS OR MINUS 4 PERCENT. DEP TIME CAME AND WENT, AND WE STILL HAD NOT RECEIVED THE FUELING FORM. FINALLY, A DIFFERENT FUELER ARRIVED WITH OUR FUEL FORM, AND I CONDUCTED THE BOARDED FUEL CHK. THE FUEL FORM INDICATED THAT, PRIOR TO FUELING, THE WING TANKS EACH CONTAINED 8000 LBS AND THE #2 TANK WAS EMPTY. THE FORM FURTHEST INDICATED THAT A TOTAL OF 1347 GALLONS HAD BEEN ADDED TO THE ACFT. 1347 GALLONS X 6.7 LBS/GALLON = 9025 LBS. WHEN ADDED TO THE 16000 LBS ORIGINALLY ON BOARD, YOU GET 25000 LBS TOTAL, 2000 LBS LESS THAN WE REQUESTED. THE #1 AND #3 FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS EACH SHOWED 9000 LBS, WITH #2 INOP. I SUSPECTED THAT THE 1347 GALLONS THAT I HAD ASKED TO BE LOADED INTO TANK #2, HAD BEEN PARTIALLY ADDED TO TANKS #1 AND #3 IN ORDER TO REACH 9000 LBS IN EACH, WITH THE REMAINDER LOADED INTO TANK #2. I QUERIED THE FUELER, WHO SAID THAT HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND AND WOULD GET THE ORIGINAL FUELER. THE ORIGINAL FUELER ALSO SEEMED CONFUSED BY MY QUESTION, AND INSISTED THAT HE HAD LOADED 1347 GALLONS IN TANK #2. THE CAPT WAS GROWING IMPATIENT WITH THIS DISCUSSION AS IT WAS NOW APPROX 7 MINS AFTER OUR SCHEDULED DEP TIME. HE SAID THAT HE COULD SEE 9000 LBS OF FUEL IN EACH WING TANK, AND THAT HE BELIEVED THE FUELER HAD ADDED THE FUEL PROPERLY TO TANK #2. WHEN I PROTESTED THAT THE GALLONS ADDED TO THE PREBOARDED FUEL DID NOT ADD UP TO THE REQUESTED FUEL, HE SAID THAT HE WOULD SIGN OFF ON THE FUEL FORM, AND THAT THE PREBOARDED FUEL INDICATED ON THE FORM MUST BE IN EFFECT. I CORRECTED THE FORM AND WE PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO OUR DEST. UPON ARR, WE DRAINED TANK #2 INTO TANKS #3 PER COMPANY PROC. WHAT WE FOUND WAS APPROX 2000 LBS LESS THAN WE EXPECTED TO FIND ON BOARD. I BELIEVE THAT THE PRESSURE TO MAKE SCHEDULE COMPELLED THIS CAPT TO DISREGARD CONFLICTING INFO CONCERNING OUR FUEL LOAD. I THEN GAVE INTO THIS CAPT. WHILE WE LANDED AT OUR DEST WITH PLENTY OF EXTRA FUEL, IF I HAD TO DO THIS OVER AGAIN, I WOULD NOT AGREE TO GO UNTIL THE CONFLICT WAS RESOLVED TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE ENTIRE CREW.

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.