Narrative:

On nov/xa/99, myself (captain), first officer and flight engineer were assigned to operate air carrier X flight scheduled to operate tlv to paris cdg. This was our second attempt to fly this aircraft, having refused 2 days earlier due to inaccurate fuel quantity gauges when related to flight manual and drip stick indications. Of the 7 tanks we would use during this flight, we considered 6 too inaccurate -- as follows: #1 and #4 reserve and #3 main tank indicators were maintenance ddpg deferred as unsvcable. Center wing was approximately 4000 pounds low indication, #1 and #4 main, following extensive crew and company computation were determined to be indicating 2000 pounds and 2400 pounds low, or 6.5 and 7.7% respectively (only 1 main tank indicator may be deferred). Although our previous maintenance write-up of 2 days earlier had been cleared by company maintenance as within limits based upon false and incorrect stick readings. We contacted company operations and had a conference call with myself. The ceo, chief pilot, air carrier, and chief flight engineer. The chief pilot concurred with our method and calculations and at no time did any of the above question the validity or accuracy of our statements. Subsequent to our conference call and later being 'released from duty' by mr company manager specifically directed me not to make any entry into the maintenance log and also to prevent flight engineer from making any entry. This is not only dangerous but of questionable legality. Company management subsequently assigned another crew and it appears attempted to deceive them of the situation. The aircraft departed tlv to paris on nov/xa/99 at approximately XA00 to paris cdg with over 400 passenger and a takeoff weight of approximately 820000 pounds (maximum). This was a clear and deliberate attempt by company management to coerce and intimidate a crew into operating a non airworthy aircraft and further, to falsify a condition by not allowing us to enter the discrepancies into the maintenance log.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPANY MGMNT RELIEVED CAPT OF THE ASSIGNMENT OF OPERATING A B747-200 WHEN HE REFUSED TO TAKE THE FLT DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING OR FAILED FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES. HE WAS ALSO INSTRUCTED TO NOT MAKE AN ENTRY IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK OF FUEL GAUGE DISCREPANCIES, OR TO ALLOW THE FE TO MAKE AN ENTRY EITHER. ANOTHER FLC WAS ASSIGNED TO TAKE THE FLT.

Narrative: ON NOV/XA/99, MYSELF (CAPT), FO AND FE WERE ASSIGNED TO OPERATE ACR X FLT SCHEDULED TO OPERATE TLV TO PARIS CDG. THIS WAS OUR SECOND ATTEMPT TO FLY THIS ACFT, HAVING REFUSED 2 DAYS EARLIER DUE TO INACCURATE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES WHEN RELATED TO FLT MANUAL AND DRIP STICK INDICATIONS. OF THE 7 TANKS WE WOULD USE DURING THIS FLT, WE CONSIDERED 6 TOO INACCURATE -- AS FOLLOWS: #1 AND #4 RESERVE AND #3 MAIN TANK INDICATORS WERE MAINT DDPG DEFERRED AS UNSVCABLE. CTR WING WAS APPROX 4000 LBS LOW INDICATION, #1 AND #4 MAIN, FOLLOWING EXTENSIVE CREW AND COMPANY COMPUTATION WERE DETERMINED TO BE INDICATING 2000 LBS AND 2400 LBS LOW, OR 6.5 AND 7.7% RESPECTIVELY (ONLY 1 MAIN TANK INDICATOR MAY BE DEFERRED). ALTHOUGH OUR PREVIOUS MAINT WRITE-UP OF 2 DAYS EARLIER HAD BEEN CLRED BY COMPANY MAINT AS WITHIN LIMITS BASED UPON FALSE AND INCORRECT STICK READINGS. WE CONTACTED COMPANY OPS AND HAD A CONFERENCE CALL WITH MYSELF. THE CEO, CHIEF PLT, ACR, AND CHIEF FE. THE CHIEF PLT CONCURRED WITH OUR METHOD AND CALCULATIONS AND AT NO TIME DID ANY OF THE ABOVE QUESTION THE VALIDITY OR ACCURACY OF OUR STATEMENTS. SUBSEQUENT TO OUR CONFERENCE CALL AND LATER BEING 'RELEASED FROM DUTY' BY MR COMPANY MGR SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED ME NOT TO MAKE ANY ENTRY INTO THE MAINT LOG AND ALSO TO PREVENT FE FROM MAKING ANY ENTRY. THIS IS NOT ONLY DANGEROUS BUT OF QUESTIONABLE LEGALITY. COMPANY MGMNT SUBSEQUENTLY ASSIGNED ANOTHER CREW AND IT APPEARS ATTEMPTED TO DECEIVE THEM OF THE SIT. THE ACFT DEPARTED TLV TO PARIS ON NOV/XA/99 AT APPROX XA00 TO PARIS CDG WITH OVER 400 PAX AND A TKOF WT OF APPROX 820000 LBS (MAX). THIS WAS A CLR AND DELIBERATE ATTEMPT BY COMPANY MGMNT TO COERCE AND INTIMIDATE A CREW INTO OPERATING A NON AIRWORTHY ACFT AND FURTHER, TO FALSIFY A CONDITION BY NOT ALLOWING US TO ENTER THE DISCREPANCIES INTO THE MAINT LOG.

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.