Narrative:

#1 main fuel tank quantity gauge was placarded inoperative. We called in range to our station and reminded them that the tank would have to be drip-sticked. The fueler was at the aircraft shortly after block in but it was some time before his supervisor arrived. The supervisor was the one who would stick the tank. We were scheduled for about 30 mins on ground and departure time was approaching. Apparently there was a malfunction in #2 fuel tank quantity gauge at fueling (operable gauge) and the flow to that tank shut off when gauge indicated full. I was doing other predep duties and did not supervise the sticking of #2 tank. I did verify that the placarded #1 tank was full. Our fuel load was planned for 20000 pounds so both mains should have been full plus 1000 pounds in center tank. When I got the fuel slip indicating gallons added, I did not properly verify that the amount agreed with the required fuel. All cockpit gauges at departure indicated the proper fuel load. I asked fueler and supervisor if they had stuck #2 tank. They said yes, the tank was full. After takeoff the #2 main gauge went to 4000 pounds from approximately 9300 pounds. The aircraft required approximately 4 units of right trim, indicating that the left tank had considerably more fuel than the right. I determined that the right tank (#2) was now indicating correctly and we had insufficient fuel to make it to denver, so I returned to ZZZ. After landing the #2 tank indicated approximately 2500 pounds on gauge and the same when maintenance checked it via dripstick. Maintenance and I supervised the fueling. The gauges, dripsticks and gallons added all agreed with the new fuel load. Maintenance signed off the write-up indicating to me that the gauge problem was a one time spike or error. I flew the aircraft to den and all #2 tank readings were normal and were verified against fuel flows. Maintenance at den stuck tank #2 and the gauge readings and dripstick readings (before fueling) indicated exactly the same.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 ON CLB AT FL200 RETURNED TO THE FIELD DUE TO OUT OF LIMITS TRIM REQUIRED CAUSED BY THE ACFT IMPROPERLY FUELED.

Narrative: #1 MAIN FUEL TANK QUANTITY GAUGE WAS PLACARDED INOP. WE CALLED IN RANGE TO OUR STATION AND REMINDED THEM THAT THE TANK WOULD HAVE TO BE DRIP-STICKED. THE FUELER WAS AT THE ACFT SHORTLY AFTER BLOCK IN BUT IT WAS SOME TIME BEFORE HIS SUPVR ARRIVED. THE SUPVR WAS THE ONE WHO WOULD STICK THE TANK. WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR ABOUT 30 MINS ON GND AND DEP TIME WAS APCHING. APPARENTLY THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN #2 FUEL TANK QUANTITY GAUGE AT FUELING (OPERABLE GAUGE) AND THE FLOW TO THAT TANK SHUT OFF WHEN GAUGE INDICATED FULL. I WAS DOING OTHER PREDEP DUTIES AND DID NOT SUPERVISE THE STICKING OF #2 TANK. I DID VERIFY THAT THE PLACARDED #1 TANK WAS FULL. OUR FUEL LOAD WAS PLANNED FOR 20000 LBS SO BOTH MAINS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FULL PLUS 1000 LBS IN CTR TANK. WHEN I GOT THE FUEL SLIP INDICATING GALLONS ADDED, I DID NOT PROPERLY VERIFY THAT THE AMOUNT AGREED WITH THE REQUIRED FUEL. ALL COCKPIT GAUGES AT DEP INDICATED THE PROPER FUEL LOAD. I ASKED FUELER AND SUPVR IF THEY HAD STUCK #2 TANK. THEY SAID YES, THE TANK WAS FULL. AFTER TKOF THE #2 MAIN GAUGE WENT TO 4000 LBS FROM APPROX 9300 LBS. THE ACFT REQUIRED APPROX 4 UNITS OF R TRIM, INDICATING THAT THE L TANK HAD CONSIDERABLY MORE FUEL THAN THE R. I DETERMINED THAT THE R TANK (#2) WAS NOW INDICATING CORRECTLY AND WE HAD INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO MAKE IT TO DENVER, SO I RETURNED TO ZZZ. AFTER LNDG THE #2 TANK INDICATED APPROX 2500 LBS ON GAUGE AND THE SAME WHEN MAINT CHKED IT VIA DRIPSTICK. MAINT AND I SUPERVISED THE FUELING. THE GAUGES, DRIPSTICKS AND GALLONS ADDED ALL AGREED WITH THE NEW FUEL LOAD. MAINT SIGNED OFF THE WRITE-UP INDICATING TO ME THAT THE GAUGE PROB WAS A ONE TIME SPIKE OR ERROR. I FLEW THE ACFT TO DEN AND ALL #2 TANK READINGS WERE NORMAL AND WERE VERIFIED AGAINST FUEL FLOWS. MAINT AT DEN STUCK TANK #2 AND THE GAUGE READINGS AND DRIPSTICK READINGS (BEFORE FUELING) INDICATED EXACTLY THE SAME.

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.