Narrative:

Fuel gauges were reading normal until approximately 210 mi northeast of atlanta, GA. Fuel gauges were noted as reading 3000-3000- 3000 equals 9000 pounds. This reading is a display when testing the fuel gauge system. A switch was changed to a separate system displaying the same reading. The abnormal procedure was correctly complied with, with no change. Captain elected to continue to atlanta, GA, our final destination. I calculated the fuel remaining from the fuel slip at the origin plus the fuel counters on each engine instrument. The fuel was determined to be adequate for the time left until arriving in atlanta, GA. However, fuel balance could not be determined any longer as well as fuel remaining. The MD80 has a limitation of 1500 pounds for fuel imbalance. Additionally if we had lost an engine we could have not been able to keep the fuel tanks in proper balance not knowing the quantity. Under strong protest made by myself for the above reasons I encouraged the captain to land in spartanburg, sc, airport where our company had facilities. The captain chose to continue and not land at spartanburg, sc. During the approach into atlanta, GA, the fuel gauges returned to a normal reading. The flight landed without incident and the fuel gauges were written up in the maintenance log. The problem was detected by the maintenance staff and eventually was corrected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC EXPERIENCES FUEL GAUGE READ OUT FAILURE.

Narrative: FUEL GAUGES WERE READING NORMAL UNTIL APPROX 210 MI NE OF ATLANTA, GA. FUEL GAUGES WERE NOTED AS READING 3000-3000- 3000 EQUALS 9000 LBS. THIS READING IS A DISPLAY WHEN TESTING THE FUEL GAUGE SYS. A SWITCH WAS CHANGED TO A SEPARATE SYS DISPLAYING THE SAME READING. THE ABNORMAL PROC WAS CORRECTLY COMPLIED WITH, WITH NO CHANGE. CAPT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO ATLANTA, GA, OUR FINAL DEST. I CALCULATED THE FUEL REMAINING FROM THE FUEL SLIP AT THE ORIGIN PLUS THE FUEL COUNTERS ON EACH ENG INST. THE FUEL WAS DETERMINED TO BE ADEQUATE FOR THE TIME LEFT UNTIL ARRIVING IN ATLANTA, GA. HOWEVER, FUEL BALANCE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED ANY LONGER AS WELL AS FUEL REMAINING. THE MD80 HAS A LIMITATION OF 1500 LBS FOR FUEL IMBALANCE. ADDITIONALLY IF WE HAD LOST AN ENG WE COULD HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO KEEP THE FUEL TANKS IN PROPER BALANCE NOT KNOWING THE QUANTITY. UNDER STRONG PROTEST MADE BY MYSELF FOR THE ABOVE REASONS I ENCOURAGED THE CAPT TO LAND IN SPARTANBURG, SC, ARPT WHERE OUR COMPANY HAD FACILITIES. THE CAPT CHOSE TO CONTINUE AND NOT LAND AT SPARTANBURG, SC. DURING THE APCH INTO ATLANTA, GA, THE FUEL GAUGES RETURNED TO A NORMAL READING. THE FLT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE FUEL GAUGES WERE WRITTEN UP IN THE MAINT LOG. THE PROB WAS DETECTED BY THE MAINT STAFF AND EVENTUALLY WAS CORRECTED.

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.