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Flight crew of MD80 is dispatched with fuel quantity gauges inoperative. They are given wrong information regarding fuel on board. Return to departure airport required.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 386420 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199711 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : btg |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 28000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zse |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 386420 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Aircraft was dispatched with cockpit and wing station center fuel tank quantity gauges inoperative. Aircraft was fueled by pdx station maintenance, using the 'dripless stick' method, to 30400 pounds. 11900 pounds was reported to dispatch as usable center tank fuel. 20 mins after departure the 'center tank boost low' light illuminated steady, indicating the center tank was empty. Fuel burn at this point in-flight plus fuel remaining in the wing tanks indicated the aircraft departed pdx with 1100 pounds vice 11900 pounds as reported by maintenance. Aircraft returned to pdx and was refueled by pdx maintenance using 'known quantity method.' aircraft continued operation to las uneventfully. Observations: the aircraft was fueled exactly by the MEL description, using either 'dripless stick' or 'known quantity.' the maintenance person who supervised and directed the fueling was not familiar with dripless stick method and misread the sticks. He reported the fuel in error to dispatch. No other check or balance occurs when the center tank quantity is inoperative. Conclusion: in the future, regardless of the MEL description, I will mentally note arrival fuel in pounds (say 5000 pounds), take gallons added (say 1000 gallons), multiply gallons added by 6.7 (6700 pounds), take arrival fuel in pounds + pounds added and come up with a reality check against the dispatch fuel load. If the 2 numbers differ by a lot, I'll start asking questions. While this is not a company procedure, it would have prevented a needless in-flight abort.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF MD80 IS DISPATCHED WITH FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES INOP. THEY ARE GIVEN WRONG INFO REGARDING FUEL ON BOARD. RETURN TO DEP ARPT REQUIRED.
Narrative: ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH COCKPIT AND WING STATION CTR FUEL TANK QUANTITY GAUGES INOP. ACFT WAS FUELED BY PDX STATION MAINT, USING THE 'DRIPLESS STICK' METHOD, TO 30400 LBS. 11900 LBS WAS RPTED TO DISPATCH AS USABLE CTR TANK FUEL. 20 MINS AFTER DEP THE 'CTR TANK BOOST LOW' LIGHT ILLUMINATED STEADY, INDICATING THE CTR TANK WAS EMPTY. FUEL BURN AT THIS POINT INFLT PLUS FUEL REMAINING IN THE WING TANKS INDICATED THE ACFT DEPARTED PDX WITH 1100 LBS VICE 11900 LBS AS RPTED BY MAINT. ACFT RETURNED TO PDX AND WAS REFUELED BY PDX MAINT USING 'KNOWN QUANTITY METHOD.' ACFT CONTINUED OP TO LAS UNEVENTFULLY. OBSERVATIONS: THE ACFT WAS FUELED EXACTLY BY THE MEL DESCRIPTION, USING EITHER 'DRIPLESS STICK' OR 'KNOWN QUANTITY.' THE MAINT PERSON WHO SUPERVISED AND DIRECTED THE FUELING WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH DRIPLESS STICK METHOD AND MISREAD THE STICKS. HE RPTED THE FUEL IN ERROR TO DISPATCH. NO OTHER CHK OR BAL OCCURS WHEN THE CTR TANK QUANTITY IS INOP. CONCLUSION: IN THE FUTURE, REGARDLESS OF THE MEL DESCRIPTION, I WILL MENTALLY NOTE ARR FUEL IN LBS (SAY 5000 LBS), TAKE GALLONS ADDED (SAY 1000 GALLONS), MULTIPLY GALLONS ADDED BY 6.7 (6700 LBS), TAKE ARR FUEL IN LBS + LBS ADDED AND COME UP WITH A REALITY CHK AGAINST THE DISPATCH FUEL LOAD. IF THE 2 NUMBERS DIFFER BY A LOT, I'LL START ASKING QUESTIONS. WHILE THIS IS NOT A COMPANY PROC, IT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED A NEEDLESS INFLT ABORT.
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.