 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
B737 has sticky fuel gauge which read low. Problem treated as a faulty gauge. Eventually, enough fuel was burned from the tank to cause low pressure lights to come on. The tank was not dripsticked until after completion of the second leg.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 367581 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199704 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gsp |
| State Reference | SC |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8400 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 367581 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 1650 |
| ASRS Report | 367583 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Approximately 45-60 mins after departure from jfk, I noticed a fuel imbal of 3000 pounds of fuel between the left and right main fuel quantity gauges. The left main fuel quantity gauge reading the lower fuel. All system were normal prior and no xfeed was performed. I therefore tested the fuel quantity, and then popped and reset the fuel quantity circuit breaker. The left fuel gauge still showed a large imbal. Then, turned the autoplt off and tested the feel of the aircraft. The aircraft felt of equal balance. Upon arrival at gsp, I looked at the fueling panel under the aircraft wing and checked for fuel leaks around the left wing. The #1 tank fuel gauge repeated the cockpit gauge imbal. In gsp, I phoned maintenance control. We both agreed I would continue the flight to cae and further monitor the fuel gauge. After takeoff from gsp, just prior to leveloff I observed a left main forward low pressure light. Procedures call for fuel xfeed open, all main fuel tanks on. I followed that procedure. Upon arrival at cae, maintenance dripsticked the left main and found I had an imbal due to low fuel in the left main and at that time dmi the left fuel quantity gauge as unreliable. I continued the flight to atl. I found the left fuel quantity gauge to stick. I also opened the fuel xfeed and with all main tanks on, found that both engines fed from the left main tank. Supplemental information from acn 367583: see attached letter of information to chief pilot. CRM was not adhered to nor was it even considered by the captain. Not the way I want to be treated as a fellow crew member.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 HAS STICKY FUEL GAUGE WHICH READ LOW. PROB TREATED AS A FAULTY GAUGE. EVENTUALLY, ENOUGH FUEL WAS BURNED FROM THE TANK TO CAUSE LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS TO COME ON. THE TANK WAS NOT DRIPSTICKED UNTIL AFTER COMPLETION OF THE SECOND LEG.
Narrative: APPROX 45-60 MINS AFTER DEP FROM JFK, I NOTICED A FUEL IMBAL OF 3000 LBS OF FUEL BTWN THE L AND R MAIN FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES. THE L MAIN FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE READING THE LOWER FUEL. ALL SYS WERE NORMAL PRIOR AND NO XFEED WAS PERFORMED. I THEREFORE TESTED THE FUEL QUANTITY, AND THEN POPPED AND RESET THE FUEL QUANTITY CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE L FUEL GAUGE STILL SHOWED A LARGE IMBAL. THEN, TURNED THE AUTOPLT OFF AND TESTED THE FEEL OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT FELT OF EQUAL BAL. UPON ARR AT GSP, I LOOKED AT THE FUELING PANEL UNDER THE ACFT WING AND CHKED FOR FUEL LEAKS AROUND THE L WING. THE #1 TANK FUEL GAUGE REPEATED THE COCKPIT GAUGE IMBAL. IN GSP, I PHONED MAINT CTL. WE BOTH AGREED I WOULD CONTINUE THE FLT TO CAE AND FURTHER MONITOR THE FUEL GAUGE. AFTER TKOF FROM GSP, JUST PRIOR TO LEVELOFF I OBSERVED A L MAIN FORWARD LOW PRESSURE LIGHT. PROCS CALL FOR FUEL XFEED OPEN, ALL MAIN FUEL TANKS ON. I FOLLOWED THAT PROC. UPON ARR AT CAE, MAINT DRIPSTICKED THE L MAIN AND FOUND I HAD AN IMBAL DUE TO LOW FUEL IN THE L MAIN AND AT THAT TIME DMI THE L FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE AS UNRELIABLE. I CONTINUED THE FLT TO ATL. I FOUND THE L FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE TO STICK. I ALSO OPENED THE FUEL XFEED AND WITH ALL MAIN TANKS ON, FOUND THAT BOTH ENGS FED FROM THE L MAIN TANK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 367583: SEE ATTACHED LETTER OF INFO TO CHIEF PLT. CRM WAS NOT ADHERED TO NOR WAS IT EVEN CONSIDERED BY THE CAPT. NOT THE WAY I WANT TO BE TREATED AS A FELLOW CREW MEMBER.
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.