Narrative:

The situation occurred on a ferry flight from mynn to kpsm. It was the third leg of the day and the aircraft had been dispatched with the #3 fuel quantity gauge deferred inoperative. To the best of my knowledge, the refueling procedure was accomplished prior to each flight by the flight engineer and the flight mechanic. The first indication of an abnormal condition occurring was during climb out from mynn. The aircraft needed greater than normal control inputs to level the wings. 5 units of rudder trim were needed for the aircraft to hold a heading during the climb. The spoilers and flaps were checked visually to confirm that they were not the cause of the condition. The flight engineer then found an error in the uplift figures and after contacting dispatch, the decision was made to divert to sanford. During cruise, the fuel in the #1 tank was used in an attempt to remedy the perceived imbal condition. This action alleviated much of the abnormal control inputs and the remainder of the flight to and landing at sanford was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW FINDS THE ACFT OUT OF BAL WHEN DISPATCHED WITH FUEL GAUGE INOP. FUELING AND WT FIGURES FOUND TO BE IN ERROR. DIVERSION WAS THE RESULT.

Narrative: THE SIT OCCURRED ON A FERRY FLT FROM MYNN TO KPSM. IT WAS THE THIRD LEG OF THE DAY AND THE ACFT HAD BEEN DISPATCHED WITH THE #3 FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE DEFERRED INOP. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THE REFUELING PROC WAS ACCOMPLISHED PRIOR TO EACH FLT BY THE FE AND THE FLT MECH. THE FIRST INDICATION OF AN ABNORMAL CONDITION OCCURRING WAS DURING CLBOUT FROM MYNN. THE ACFT NEEDED GREATER THAN NORMAL CTL INPUTS TO LEVEL THE WINGS. 5 UNITS OF RUDDER TRIM WERE NEEDED FOR THE ACFT TO HOLD A HDG DURING THE CLB. THE SPOILERS AND FLAPS WERE CHKED VISUALLY TO CONFIRM THAT THEY WERE NOT THE CAUSE OF THE CONDITION. THE FE THEN FOUND AN ERROR IN THE UPLIFT FIGURES AND AFTER CONTACTING DISPATCH, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO SANFORD. DURING CRUISE, THE FUEL IN THE #1 TANK WAS USED IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE PERCEIVED IMBAL CONDITION. THIS ACTION ALLEVIATED MUCH OF THE ABNORMAL CTL INPUTS AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT TO AND LNDG AT SANFORD WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.