Narrative:

Flight arrived with #1 fuel quantity inoperative. I told the captain to turn on #1 xfeed and #1 boost pump to empty #1 fuel tank. The tank was emptying as I performed a walkaround. When I arrived to cockpit, I found a crewman watching the low pressure lights for #1 fuel tank. We noticed #2 and #3 fuel quantity growing too quickly. I went down to the fuel truck to find the fueler pumping fuel into #2 and #3 main tanks. I told the fueler to stop fueling at which time the fuel counter read 529 gals. The #1 tank emptied with both low pressure lights illuminated. The fueler re- set the fuel counter to zero. I manually opened #1 fuel valve, returned to fuel truck to start fueling. I watched the fuel counter count up to 1716 gals, starting from zero. I went over to left wing to manually close #1 fuel valve, install cannon plug and secure panel. I returned to fuel truck to sign fuel slip and to tell fueler to fuel #2 and #3 fuel tanks. I went to cockpit to fill out fuel quantity log. I left aircraft with fueler fueling #2 and #3 tanks. Aircraft made air return, saying right wing heavy, left wing light. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft involved was a B727-200. The reporter believes that he did everything 'by the book.' the refueler was new and did not understand the procedure that the reporter was accomplishing. The reporter believes that either #2 or #3 tank valves failed to close while he was pumping a known quantity into #1 tank, or that the fueler opened one of these valves. After the fuel gauge was zeroed, the 529 gals that had already been pumped into the center and right tanks was not accounted for, making the aircraft heavy by that much. The reporter was threatened with 30 days suspension of his certificate by the FAA, but was given 2 days off without pay by his air carrier. This occurred at iah. He promises to read the cockpit fuel gauges after emptying the tank and after the completion of the fueling procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT WAS FUELED WRONG.

Narrative: FLT ARRIVED WITH #1 FUEL QUANTITY INOP. I TOLD THE CAPT TO TURN ON #1 XFEED AND #1 BOOST PUMP TO EMPTY #1 FUEL TANK. THE TANK WAS EMPTYING AS I PERFORMED A WALKAROUND. WHEN I ARRIVED TO COCKPIT, I FOUND A CREWMAN WATCHING THE LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS FOR #1 FUEL TANK. WE NOTICED #2 AND #3 FUEL QUANTITY GROWING TOO QUICKLY. I WENT DOWN TO THE FUEL TRUCK TO FIND THE FUELER PUMPING FUEL INTO #2 AND #3 MAIN TANKS. I TOLD THE FUELER TO STOP FUELING AT WHICH TIME THE FUEL COUNTER READ 529 GALS. THE #1 TANK EMPTIED WITH BOTH LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FUELER RE- SET THE FUEL COUNTER TO ZERO. I MANUALLY OPENED #1 FUEL VALVE, RETURNED TO FUEL TRUCK TO START FUELING. I WATCHED THE FUEL COUNTER COUNT UP TO 1716 GALS, STARTING FROM ZERO. I WENT OVER TO L WING TO MANUALLY CLOSE #1 FUEL VALVE, INSTALL CANNON PLUG AND SECURE PANEL. I RETURNED TO FUEL TRUCK TO SIGN FUEL SLIP AND TO TELL FUELER TO FUEL #2 AND #3 FUEL TANKS. I WENT TO COCKPIT TO FILL OUT FUEL QUANTITY LOG. I LEFT ACFT WITH FUELER FUELING #2 AND #3 TANKS. ACFT MADE AIR RETURN, SAYING R WING HVY, L WING LIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT INVOLVED WAS A B727-200. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT HE DID EVERYTHING 'BY THE BOOK.' THE REFUELER WAS NEW AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE PROC THAT THE RPTR WAS ACCOMPLISHING. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT EITHER #2 OR #3 TANK VALVES FAILED TO CLOSE WHILE HE WAS PUMPING A KNOWN QUANTITY INTO #1 TANK, OR THAT THE FUELER OPENED ONE OF THESE VALVES. AFTER THE FUEL GAUGE WAS ZEROED, THE 529 GALS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN PUMPED INTO THE CTR AND R TANKS WAS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR, MAKING THE ACFT HVY BY THAT MUCH. THE RPTR WAS THREATENED WITH 30 DAYS SUSPENSION OF HIS CERTIFICATE BY THE FAA, BUT WAS GIVEN 2 DAYS OFF WITHOUT PAY BY HIS ACR. THIS OCCURRED AT IAH. HE PROMISES TO READ THE COCKPIT FUEL GAUGES AFTER EMPTYING THE TANK AND AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE FUELING PROC.

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.