Narrative:

Aircraft had #1 fuel quantity gauge MEL inoperative. Mechanics already had fueled 5800 pounds in tank #1 and was waiting for the final load. It came out that wings would be full 11500 pounds each and center tank would have 13000 pounds. Mechanics put the known quantity in tank #1 and fueled the rest the normal way. The gals boarded checked to required fuel. Upon rotation captain noticed aircraft's tendency to roll to the right. Captain gave me the aircraft to feel it, and it was definitely right wing heavy. It took almost 4 units of trim to keep the wings level. Suspecting fuel error, we decided to return to the field and made an uneventful landing. We don't know how we could have avoided this fueling error, as fueler and mechanics were working together. The fuel slips we were given matched the dispatch fuel. Later we found out, mechanic told the fueler, just fill up the wing tank. Volumetric shutoff valve will shut off when tank is full. Instead of putting known quantity in the tank, vto (dependent on gauge) shut off at 6000 pounds instead of 11500 pounds. It gave us the imbalance in the wings. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a B727-200 and was pre-fueled by a mechanic per the inoperative fuel indicator procedures to 5000 pounds (790 gals) then brought to the gate without a fuel slip showing this pre- fueling. The reporter said the mechanic then advised the gate mechanic verbally of the pre-fueling and went back to the line to deliver another aircraft. The reporter states the fueler was told by the gate mechanic of the pre-fuel load and would need 6500 pounds (970 gals) to be added to fill the #1 wing tank to the requested load of 11500 pounds. The reporter said when the fueler started to fuel, the tank volumetric top off system which had not been rendered inoperative closed the fueling valve at 6500 pounds. The reporter said the fueler disconnected but did not record the truck meter reading of the gals added to the tank nor was the tank dipstick pulled to determine if fuel was in the tank. The reporter said the fuel slip was given to the so and the error of the truck readings and no dipstick readings was not discovered. Callback from reporter of acn 386752 revealed the following information: the reporter states the #1 wing tank was emptied and pre-fueled using the fuel truck meter to 5000 pounds (790 gals) and then taken to the gate by the reporter. The reporter said a turnover was given to the gate mechanic on the fuel pre-load but no fuel slip was made out covering the fuel pre-load. The reporter states leaving the area to deliver another aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN UNBALANCED FUEL LOAD REQUIRING 4 UNITS OF L WING DOWN CAUSED BY IMPROPER TANK INDICATOR AND INOP FUELING PROCS.

Narrative: ACFT HAD #1 FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE MEL INOP. MECHS ALREADY HAD FUELED 5800 LBS IN TANK #1 AND WAS WAITING FOR THE FINAL LOAD. IT CAME OUT THAT WINGS WOULD BE FULL 11500 LBS EACH AND CTR TANK WOULD HAVE 13000 LBS. MECHS PUT THE KNOWN QUANTITY IN TANK #1 AND FUELED THE REST THE NORMAL WAY. THE GALS BOARDED CHKED TO REQUIRED FUEL. UPON ROTATION CAPT NOTICED ACFT'S TENDENCY TO ROLL TO THE R. CAPT GAVE ME THE ACFT TO FEEL IT, AND IT WAS DEFINITELY R WING HVY. IT TOOK ALMOST 4 UNITS OF TRIM TO KEEP THE WINGS LEVEL. SUSPECTING FUEL ERROR, WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE FIELD AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. WE DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS FUELING ERROR, AS FUELER AND MECHS WERE WORKING TOGETHER. THE FUEL SLIPS WE WERE GIVEN MATCHED THE DISPATCH FUEL. LATER WE FOUND OUT, MECH TOLD THE FUELER, JUST FILL UP THE WING TANK. VOLUMETRIC SHUTOFF VALVE WILL SHUT OFF WHEN TANK IS FULL. INSTEAD OF PUTTING KNOWN QUANTITY IN THE TANK, VTO (DEPENDENT ON GAUGE) SHUT OFF AT 6000 LBS INSTEAD OF 11500 LBS. IT GAVE US THE IMBALANCE IN THE WINGS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A B727-200 AND WAS PRE-FUELED BY A MECH PER THE INOP FUEL INDICATOR PROCS TO 5000 LBS (790 GALS) THEN BROUGHT TO THE GATE WITHOUT A FUEL SLIP SHOWING THIS PRE- FUELING. THE RPTR SAID THE MECH THEN ADVISED THE GATE MECH VERBALLY OF THE PRE-FUELING AND WENT BACK TO THE LINE TO DELIVER ANOTHER ACFT. THE RPTR STATES THE FUELER WAS TOLD BY THE GATE MECH OF THE PRE-FUEL LOAD AND WOULD NEED 6500 LBS (970 GALS) TO BE ADDED TO FILL THE #1 WING TANK TO THE REQUESTED LOAD OF 11500 LBS. THE RPTR SAID WHEN THE FUELER STARTED TO FUEL, THE TANK VOLUMETRIC TOP OFF SYS WHICH HAD NOT BEEN RENDERED INOP CLOSED THE FUELING VALVE AT 6500 LBS. THE RPTR SAID THE FUELER DISCONNECTED BUT DID NOT RECORD THE TRUCK METER READING OF THE GALS ADDED TO THE TANK NOR WAS THE TANK DIPSTICK PULLED TO DETERMINE IF FUEL WAS IN THE TANK. THE RPTR SAID THE FUEL SLIP WAS GIVEN TO THE SO AND THE ERROR OF THE TRUCK READINGS AND NO DIPSTICK READINGS WAS NOT DISCOVERED. CALLBACK FROM RPTR OF ACN 386752 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THE #1 WING TANK WAS EMPTIED AND PRE-FUELED USING THE FUEL TRUCK METER TO 5000 LBS (790 GALS) AND THEN TAKEN TO THE GATE BY THE RPTR. THE RPTR SAID A TURNOVER WAS GIVEN TO THE GATE MECH ON THE FUEL PRE-LOAD BUT NO FUEL SLIP WAS MADE OUT COVERING THE FUEL PRE-LOAD. THE RPTR STATES LEAVING THE AREA TO DELIVER ANOTHER ACFT.

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.