Narrative:

The crew was on day 3 of a 5 day trip. We began the day in dtw and switched aircraft in stl. I knew from checking the maintenance status of the aircraft that the #2 fuel tank qty gauge was inoperative, so special fueling procedures were in effect. I went out to the aircraft to preflight and saw the fueler, who indicated to me that he was unsure of himself and needed some assistance with the procedure. I went inside the cockpit to stow my bags and when I returned to him, he told me he had found a mechanic to help him and no longer needed my assistance. I finished my preflight and we boarded the passenger. The fueler brought me the fuel slip, explained what he had written, and told me that he had 'dripsticked' the tanks in order to verify the qty. He showed before fueling qtys as: 4100 pounds (tank #1), 4400 pounds (tank #3), and 6500 pounds (tank #2), and after fueling qtys as: 11800 pounds (tank #1), 11800 pounds (tank #3) and 18000 pounds (tank #2). A total of 15100 pounds were added to #1 and #3 and 11500 pounds were added to tank #2 (26600 pounds total). This was more than adequate to satisfy our flight plan. I double- checked his math and signed the slip. We departed on the way to phx (our scheduled destination), and upon reaching 10000 ft I began to feed all 3 engines out of #2 tank as per company procedure. Using the fuel flow gauge to calculate burn, I used this procedure until the calculated qty in #2 was equal to tanks #1 and #3 (11500 pounds per tank). We continued on and when we were approximately 10 mins beyond abq, a low pressure fuel boost pump light came on in tank #2 and then went out again. It came back on, followed by 2 more lights in #2 as I opened the xfeeds. We diverted to abq for fuel. All engines remained running normally until shut down at the gate. We had the tank qty in #2 checked in abq and it showed dry. The remaining fuel qty in tanks #1 and #3 totaled 10500 pounds. Supplemental information from acn 334344: the pre-service fuel on board in #2 tank was miscalculated. This resulted in under fueling the aircraft by 6500 pounds. A review of qualifications of fueling crews should be undertaken to ensure they are aware of, and qualified to perform, alternative fueling procedures that are required when fuel system components are inoperative or malfunctioning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE AT FL310 B727'S #2 FUEL TANK LOW PRESSURE BOOST PUMP LIGHT ILLUMINATED, FORCING THE FLC TO DIVERT AS A RESULT OF LESS THAN ADEQUATE FUEL. THE SO RPTS THAT THE FUELER WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE DRIPSTICKING THAT WAS REQUIRED PER THE ACFT'S MEL AND INDICATED THE WRONG AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE #2 TANK.

Narrative: THE CREW WAS ON DAY 3 OF A 5 DAY TRIP. WE BEGAN THE DAY IN DTW AND SWITCHED ACFT IN STL. I KNEW FROM CHKING THE MAINT STATUS OF THE ACFT THAT THE #2 FUEL TANK QTY GAUGE WAS INOP, SO SPECIAL FUELING PROCS WERE IN EFFECT. I WENT OUT TO THE ACFT TO PREFLT AND SAW THE FUELER, WHO INDICATED TO ME THAT HE WAS UNSURE OF HIMSELF AND NEEDED SOME ASSISTANCE WITH THE PROC. I WENT INSIDE THE COCKPIT TO STOW MY BAGS AND WHEN I RETURNED TO HIM, HE TOLD ME HE HAD FOUND A MECH TO HELP HIM AND NO LONGER NEEDED MY ASSISTANCE. I FINISHED MY PREFLT AND WE BOARDED THE PAX. THE FUELER BROUGHT ME THE FUEL SLIP, EXPLAINED WHAT HE HAD WRITTEN, AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAD 'DRIPSTICKED' THE TANKS IN ORDER TO VERIFY THE QTY. HE SHOWED BEFORE FUELING QTYS AS: 4100 LBS (TANK #1), 4400 LBS (TANK #3), AND 6500 LBS (TANK #2), AND AFTER FUELING QTYS AS: 11800 LBS (TANK #1), 11800 LBS (TANK #3) AND 18000 LBS (TANK #2). A TOTAL OF 15100 LBS WERE ADDED TO #1 AND #3 AND 11500 LBS WERE ADDED TO TANK #2 (26600 LBS TOTAL). THIS WAS MORE THAN ADEQUATE TO SATISFY OUR FLT PLAN. I DOUBLE- CHKED HIS MATH AND SIGNED THE SLIP. WE DEPARTED ON THE WAY TO PHX (OUR SCHEDULED DEST), AND UPON REACHING 10000 FT I BEGAN TO FEED ALL 3 ENGS OUT OF #2 TANK AS PER COMPANY PROC. USING THE FUEL FLOW GAUGE TO CALCULATE BURN, I USED THIS PROC UNTIL THE CALCULATED QTY IN #2 WAS EQUAL TO TANKS #1 AND #3 (11500 LBS PER TANK). WE CONTINUED ON AND WHEN WE WERE APPROX 10 MINS BEYOND ABQ, A LOW PRESSURE FUEL BOOST PUMP LIGHT CAME ON IN TANK #2 AND THEN WENT OUT AGAIN. IT CAME BACK ON, FOLLOWED BY 2 MORE LIGHTS IN #2 AS I OPENED THE XFEEDS. WE DIVERTED TO ABQ FOR FUEL. ALL ENGS REMAINED RUNNING NORMALLY UNTIL SHUT DOWN AT THE GATE. WE HAD THE TANK QTY IN #2 CHKED IN ABQ AND IT SHOWED DRY. THE REMAINING FUEL QTY IN TANKS #1 AND #3 TOTALED 10500 LBS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 334344: THE PRE-SVC FUEL ON BOARD IN #2 TANK WAS MISCALCULATED. THIS RESULTED IN UNDER FUELING THE ACFT BY 6500 LBS. A REVIEW OF QUALIFICATIONS OF FUELING CREWS SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THEY ARE AWARE OF, AND QUALIFIED TO PERFORM, ALTERNATIVE FUELING PROCS THAT ARE REQUIRED WHEN FUEL SYS COMPONENTS ARE INOP OR MALFUNCTIONING.

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.