 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An air carrier B737-300 crew reports that they received a short load of fuel in their left fuel tank. Fuel equipment problem cockpit and underwing fuel gauges read 8000 pounds when only 1800 pounds had been uploaded. Fuel equipment design problem both cockpit and underwing gauges get their information from the same sensors.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 343556 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199608 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bld |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 343556 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 343652 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Crew observed no fuel abnormalities on departure out of sna. At top of climb, #1 aft fuel low pressure light came on. Other fuel indications normal. North of bld, forward (#1) fuel low pressure light came on. #1 fuel quantity gauge indicated error code #1 and quantity increased to 9000 pounds. The pilot operating manual was consulted. Crew elected to open xfeed to maintain pressure. Crew called air carrier maintenance, they advised to open xfeed and he would alert slc maintenance. Nearest suitable airport was cedar city followed by slc. Forward low pressure light cycled on and off throughout flight. Crew assumed they had fuel in #1 tank that was usable through suction feed and that #2 quantity would be 2500 pounds on arrival slc. Crew used flaps 15 degree landing and asked for priority handling into slc. Investigation revealed that, due to a gauge error, only 1800 pounds of fuel had been boarded in #1 tank, even though both cockpit and underwing gauges indicated 8000 pounds.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR B737-300 CREW RPTS THAT THEY RECEIVED A SHORT LOAD OF FUEL IN THEIR L FUEL TANK. FUEL EQUIP PROB COCKPIT AND UNDERWING FUEL GAUGES READ 8000 LBS WHEN ONLY 1800 LBS HAD BEEN UPLOADED. FUEL EQUIP DESIGN PROB BOTH COCKPIT AND UNDERWING GAUGES GET THEIR INFO FROM THE SAME SENSORS.
Narrative: CREW OBSERVED NO FUEL ABNORMALITIES ON DEP OUT OF SNA. AT TOP OF CLB, #1 AFT FUEL LOW PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. OTHER FUEL INDICATIONS NORMAL. N OF BLD, FORWARD (#1) FUEL LOW PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. #1 FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED ERROR CODE #1 AND QUANTITY INCREASED TO 9000 LBS. THE PLT OPERATING MANUAL WAS CONSULTED. CREW ELECTED TO OPEN XFEED TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE. CREW CALLED ACR MAINT, THEY ADVISED TO OPEN XFEED AND HE WOULD ALERT SLC MAINT. NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WAS CEDAR CITY FOLLOWED BY SLC. FORWARD LOW PRESSURE LIGHT CYCLED ON AND OFF THROUGHOUT FLT. CREW ASSUMED THEY HAD FUEL IN #1 TANK THAT WAS USABLE THROUGH SUCTION FEED AND THAT #2 QUANTITY WOULD BE 2500 LBS ON ARR SLC. CREW USED FLAPS 15 DEG LNDG AND ASKED FOR PRIORITY HANDLING INTO SLC. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT, DUE TO A GAUGE ERROR, ONLY 1800 LBS OF FUEL HAD BEEN BOARDED IN #1 TANK, EVEN THOUGH BOTH COCKPIT AND UNDERWING GAUGES INDICATED 8000 LBS.
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.