A B727-200 was dispatched in non compliance with #1 fuel quantity indicator deferred inoperative per...

Attributes
ACN	495292
Time
Date	200012
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 15000
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : other published ifr departure
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Experience	maintenance technician : 30
ASRS Report	495292
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 5
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : lighting contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : testing
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Chart Or Publication Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft arrived with #1 fuel quantity inoperative (already on MEL 28-xx-11C). Crew notified operations about vacating the #1 fuel tank. I decided to go out to assist the crew and watch the #1 fuel quantity go to zero by checking the electric fuel pump low pressure lights to appear. When the low pressure lights came on for the #1 fuel tank then shut the pump switches to off, then went down to the lower right wing to shut the defuel valve to off and closed the panel, I then told the fuelers that the #1 tank was empty and he could start fueling. Later, noticed the defueling panel was open and lever in down position and asked fueler, and he said he was waiting for beacon light from crew due to balance fuel load. Beacon light came on, and I made sure that the defuel handle was again closed and the panel closed. The fueler checked the indicators at the fueling panel and then he closed the panel. Later, the aircraft departed. The aircraft pushed out at XA05 and off at XA24. Later, aircraft returned to gate at XB15. From the aircraft log of the inbound crew stated: on liftoff, rolled sharply to the right required full left yoke to keep wings level. Flaps/leading edge devices ok. Suspected fuel imbal at 15000 ft. Both low pressure lights in #1 tank illuminated. Burned/dumped tank #3 to balance wings. Less control input was required as #3 tank quantity decreased. Land fuel #1 = 0, #2 = 8.7, #3 =M 3.1. Emergency declared, return land. On aircraft arrival at block, verified no fuel in #1 tank which caused full left yoke deflection. #1 tank fuel quantity previously on aircraft verified fuel quantity for #2 and #3 tank. At this time it is still being investigated by the appropriate parties. I do not know what caused this as under the MEL 28-00-11C the verification of the fuel quantity in the fuel tank should be performed using one of the following methods: 1) fuel truck meter method, 2) fuel xfer method, 3) drip sticks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH #1 FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR DEFERRED INOP PER THE MEL, BUT SPECIAL FUELING PROCS WERE NOT ACCOMPLISHED. ACFT RETURNED WITH #1 TANK EMPTY.

Narrative: ACFT ARRIVED WITH #1 FUEL QUANTITY INOP (ALREADY ON MEL 28-XX-11C). CREW NOTIFIED OPS ABOUT VACATING THE #1 FUEL TANK. I DECIDED TO GO OUT TO ASSIST THE CREW AND WATCH THE #1 FUEL QUANTITY GO TO ZERO BY CHKING THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS TO APPEAR. WHEN THE LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS CAME ON FOR THE #1 FUEL TANK THEN SHUT THE PUMP SWITCHES TO OFF, THEN WENT DOWN TO THE LOWER R WING TO SHUT THE DEFUEL VALVE TO OFF AND CLOSED THE PANEL, I THEN TOLD THE FUELERS THAT THE #1 TANK WAS EMPTY AND HE COULD START FUELING. LATER, NOTICED THE DEFUELING PANEL WAS OPEN AND LEVER IN DOWN POS AND ASKED FUELER, AND HE SAID HE WAS WAITING FOR BEACON LIGHT FROM CREW DUE TO BAL FUEL LOAD. BEACON LIGHT CAME ON, AND I MADE SURE THAT THE DEFUEL HANDLE WAS AGAIN CLOSED AND THE PANEL CLOSED. THE FUELER CHKED THE INDICATORS AT THE FUELING PANEL AND THEN HE CLOSED THE PANEL. LATER, THE ACFT DEPARTED. THE ACFT PUSHED OUT AT XA05 AND OFF AT XA24. LATER, ACFT RETURNED TO GATE AT XB15. FROM THE ACFT LOG OF THE INBOUND CREW STATED: ON LIFTOFF, ROLLED SHARPLY TO THE R REQUIRED FULL L YOKE TO KEEP WINGS LEVEL. FLAPS/LEADING EDGE DEVICES OK. SUSPECTED FUEL IMBAL AT 15000 FT. BOTH LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS IN #1 TANK ILLUMINATED. BURNED/DUMPED TANK #3 TO BAL WINGS. LESS CTL INPUT WAS REQUIRED AS #3 TANK QUANTITY DECREASED. LAND FUEL #1 = 0, #2 = 8.7, #3 =M 3.1. EMER DECLARED, RETURN LAND. ON ACFT ARR AT BLOCK, VERIFIED NO FUEL IN #1 TANK WHICH CAUSED FULL L YOKE DEFLECTION. #1 TANK FUEL QUANTITY PREVIOUSLY ON ACFT VERIFIED FUEL QUANTITY FOR #2 AND #3 TANK. AT THIS TIME IT IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE APPROPRIATE PARTIES. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS AS UNDER THE MEL 28-00-11C THE VERIFICATION OF THE FUEL QUANTITY IN THE FUEL TANK SHOULD BE PERFORMED USING ONE OF THE FOLLOWING METHODS: 1) FUEL TRUCK METER METHOD, 2) FUEL XFER METHOD, 3) DRIP STICKS.

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.

A B727-200 was dispatched in non compliance with #1 fuel quantity indicator deferred inoperative per the MEL, but special fueling procedures were not accomplished. Aircraft returned with #1 tank empty.