Narrative:

I am a BE99 captain and have flown in that capacity for 1 yr now, where I've accrued nearly 1000 hours. PIC turboprop time. Anyhow, I know my aircraft well and I certainly know how to calculate 'fuel loads' proficiently. On the evening of jan/tue/98, at approximately XA30 lmst I had our fueler add 120 gals of jet a to our BE99. We had roughly 1000 pounds of fuel prior to being refueled. The calculation is simple: we had 1000 pounds fuel and wanted 1800 pounds fuel. Hence, the difference is 800 pounds fuel. So, divide 800 pounds by 2 equals 400 pounds. And then add 400 pounds to your original 800 pounds, and you get 1200 pounds. Then, you just drop a zero and the fuel you'll want to add is 120 gals. After doing so, my fuel gauges indicated about 2000 pounds (200 pounds fuel extra). My weight and balance reflected 1800 pounds fuel, however. Now, this error is common in most of our aircraft, at least the ones I am intimately involved with. And, the error becomes greater as more and more fuel is added to the aircraft. Also, the fuel gauges will commonly indicate differently from when you shut the engines down to flying it the next day. Depending upon how long the plane has been sitting. And I always thought that this was normal for the BE99. Either we need newly calibrated fuel gauges or else this type of occurrence will continue to happen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR BE99 FLC COMPLAINS THAT THE FUEL GAUGES ON BE99 ACFT ARE INACCURATE AND THEY INCREASE IN ERROR AS THE FUEL QUANTITY INCREASES SO PREFLT FUEL READINGS ARE OFTEN ERRONEOUS.

Narrative: I AM A BE99 CAPT AND HAVE FLOWN IN THAT CAPACITY FOR 1 YR NOW, WHERE I'VE ACCRUED NEARLY 1000 HRS. PIC TURBOPROP TIME. ANYHOW, I KNOW MY ACFT WELL AND I CERTAINLY KNOW HOW TO CALCULATE 'FUEL LOADS' PROFICIENTLY. ON THE EVENING OF JAN/TUE/98, AT APPROX XA30 LMST I HAD OUR FUELER ADD 120 GALS OF JET A TO OUR BE99. WE HAD ROUGHLY 1000 LBS OF FUEL PRIOR TO BEING REFUELED. THE CALCULATION IS SIMPLE: WE HAD 1000 LBS FUEL AND WANTED 1800 LBS FUEL. HENCE, THE DIFFERENCE IS 800 LBS FUEL. SO, DIVIDE 800 LBS BY 2 EQUALS 400 LBS. AND THEN ADD 400 LBS TO YOUR ORIGINAL 800 LBS, AND YOU GET 1200 LBS. THEN, YOU JUST DROP A ZERO AND THE FUEL YOU'LL WANT TO ADD IS 120 GALS. AFTER DOING SO, MY FUEL GAUGES INDICATED ABOUT 2000 LBS (200 LBS FUEL EXTRA). MY WT AND BAL REFLECTED 1800 LBS FUEL, HOWEVER. NOW, THIS ERROR IS COMMON IN MOST OF OUR ACFT, AT LEAST THE ONES I AM INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH. AND, THE ERROR BECOMES GREATER AS MORE AND MORE FUEL IS ADDED TO THE ACFT. ALSO, THE FUEL GAUGES WILL COMMONLY INDICATE DIFFERENTLY FROM WHEN YOU SHUT THE ENGS DOWN TO FLYING IT THE NEXT DAY. DEPENDING UPON HOW LONG THE PLANE HAS BEEN SITTING. AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THE BE99. EITHER WE NEED NEWLY CALIBRATED FUEL GAUGES OR ELSE THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.

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.