Narrative:

On takeoff from bos aircraft fuel load was 152000 pounds. The fuel tanks were balanced and fuel was normal. On climb out the aircraft felt right wing heavy. After trimming for the climb the rudder trim was 4 degrees off and the aileron was 4 degrees left. The fuel on #1 tank was indicating an imbal of 15000 pounds less than the right tank #2. After checking the fuel quantity indicators and switching the fuel quantity channel select system. The indication remained the same. We transferred fuel and balanced #1 and #3 tanks and the trim of the aircraft evened out to zero degrees trim on the rudder and aileron. After contacting dispatch and maintenance control, we made the decision to return to bos. We dumped approximately 60000 pounds of fuel and landed at a weight of 403000 pounds at bos. A normal landing was made. Note: during the dumping procedure, the right dump valve circuit breaker popped. It was reset and popped again. Dumping was continued using the left dump valve only. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this aircraft was a dc-10 at bos. The aircraft's fuel gauges indicated the correct amount of fuel at the ramp. It wasn't until the aircraft was airborne that the fuel imbal was noted by the captain, by the amount of flight control displacement and trim required to maintain wings level. After the return/land it was determined that indeed, the aircraft had been shorted 15000 pounds of fuel. The problem was with a sticking fuel gauge. The aircraft had a prior history of this occurring at least once before but on the opposite gauge. (Reporter wondered if there had been just a fuel gauge swap on that occasion.) after the event, the captain, first officer and the so did receive a line check. It must have been primarily for the so as the check airman was a flight engineer type. Later the air carrier scheduled a 'non jeopardy' meeting at headquarters with operations staff personnel. Alpa was also in attendance. Reporter stated that there were several reasons for this occurring: the aircraft is prefueled at the ramp to 30000 pounds and then towed over to the hangar. Later it is brought back to the ramp and fueled for the flight. He feels that there is more room for error with 2 fueling procedures being carried out. The first officer is not 'in the fuel loop' in the cockpit coordination. The captain states fuel required and the so answers with fuel on board. First officer also felt that there was an inadequate fuel review procedure in this event, without any fuel density check being incorporated into that fuel review. (Previous fuel plus fuel incorporated into this procedure.) he felt that, with the previous problem of a sticking gauge, there should have been a dipping of the tanks previous to any sign off of any 'completed correction' of the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC-10 SUFFERS FUEL IMBAL. FUEL REQUIRED NOT ON BOARD.

Narrative: ON TKOF FROM BOS ACFT FUEL LOAD WAS 152000 LBS. THE FUEL TANKS WERE BALANCED AND FUEL WAS NORMAL. ON CLBOUT THE ACFT FELT R WING HVY. AFTER TRIMMING FOR THE CLB THE RUDDER TRIM WAS 4 DEGS OFF AND THE AILERON WAS 4 DEGS L. THE FUEL ON #1 TANK WAS INDICATING AN IMBAL OF 15000 LBS LESS THAN THE R TANK #2. AFTER CHKING THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS AND SWITCHING THE FUEL QUANTITY CHANNEL SELECT SYS. THE INDICATION REMAINED THE SAME. WE TRANSFERRED FUEL AND BALANCED #1 AND #3 TANKS AND THE TRIM OF THE ACFT EVENED OUT TO ZERO DEGS TRIM ON THE RUDDER AND AILERON. AFTER CONTACTING DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL, WE MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO BOS. WE DUMPED APPROX 60000 LBS OF FUEL AND LANDED AT A WT OF 403000 LBS AT BOS. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. NOTE: DURING THE DUMPING PROC, THE R DUMP VALVE CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. IT WAS RESET AND POPPED AGAIN. DUMPING WAS CONTINUED USING THE L DUMP VALVE ONLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS ACFT WAS A DC-10 AT BOS. THE ACFT'S FUEL GAUGES INDICATED THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL AT THE RAMP. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE ACFT WAS AIRBORNE THAT THE FUEL IMBAL WAS NOTED BY THE CAPT, BY THE AMOUNT OF FLT CTL DISPLACEMENT AND TRIM REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN WINGS LEVEL. AFTER THE RETURN/LAND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT INDEED, THE ACFT HAD BEEN SHORTED 15000 LBS OF FUEL. THE PROB WAS WITH A STICKING FUEL GAUGE. THE ACFT HAD A PRIOR HISTORY OF THIS OCCURRING AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE BUT ON THE OPPOSITE GAUGE. (RPTR WONDERED IF THERE HAD BEEN JUST A FUEL GAUGE SWAP ON THAT OCCASION.) AFTER THE EVENT, THE CAPT, FO AND THE SO DID RECEIVE A LINE CHK. IT MUST HAVE BEEN PRIMARILY FOR THE SO AS THE CHK AIRMAN WAS A FE TYPE. LATER THE ACR SCHEDULED A 'NON JEOPARDY' MEETING AT HEADQUARTERS WITH OPS STAFF PERSONNEL. ALPA WAS ALSO IN ATTENDANCE. RPTR STATED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL REASONS FOR THIS OCCURRING: THE ACFT IS PREFUELED AT THE RAMP TO 30000 LBS AND THEN TOWED OVER TO THE HANGAR. LATER IT IS BROUGHT BACK TO THE RAMP AND FUELED FOR THE FLT. HE FEELS THAT THERE IS MORE ROOM FOR ERROR WITH 2 FUELING PROCS BEING CARRIED OUT. THE FO IS NOT 'IN THE FUEL LOOP' IN THE COCKPIT COORD. THE CAPT STATES FUEL REQUIRED AND THE SO ANSWERS WITH FUEL ON BOARD. FO ALSO FELT THAT THERE WAS AN INADEQUATE FUEL REVIEW PROC IN THIS EVENT, WITHOUT ANY FUEL DENSITY CHK BEING INCORPORATED INTO THAT FUEL REVIEW. (PREVIOUS FUEL PLUS FUEL INCORPORATED INTO THIS PROC.) HE FELT THAT, WITH THE PREVIOUS PROB OF A STICKING GAUGE, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A DIPPING OF THE TANKS PREVIOUS TO ANY SIGN OFF OF ANY 'COMPLETED CORRECTION' OF THE PROB.

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.