B777 crew had maintenance attempt to get crew to accept inoperative fuel quantity on an atlantic ETO...

Attributes
ACN	511106
Time
Date	200105
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Make Model Name	B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	511106
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity system mntnc computer other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

We wrote up the left fuel gauge on our original aircraft (which I'm sorry I don't have the tail number for) going out of balance with the right fuel gauge. We were getting intermittent EICAS fuel imbal indications. Looking at the maintenance display we could see that several of the probes in the left tank were radically low compared to the right tank. These probes were evidently in the outboard section of the left wing. The result was a fuel imbal at the gate of up to 5000 pounds. Our limitation for taxi, takeoff, and landing is 3000 pounds when the total main tank fuel is greater than 114000 pounds. We had over 120000 pounds in the mains. When maintenance arrived they signed the aircraft off as good for flight, no leaks noted, on the basis of B777 operating manual pink bulletin having to do with fuel quantity indicating system malfunctions. This is totally inappropriate because the dispatch of aircraft is not governed by the aircraft operating manual, but the appropriate MEL. We checked the B777 MEL and it says that you need all 3 tank indications to fly to europe -- no exceptions noted. I think the approach taken by maintenance is totally inappropriate and potentially dangerous in that it encourages pilots to accept aircraft not on the basis on the MEL, but on some totally bogus criteria cooked up by maintenance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 CREW HAD MAINT ATTEMPT TO GET CREW TO ACCEPT INOP FUEL QUANTITY ON AN ATLANTIC ETOPS FLT THAT WAS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEL.

Narrative: WE WROTE UP THE L FUEL GAUGE ON OUR ORIGINAL ACFT (WHICH I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE THE TAIL NUMBER FOR) GOING OUT OF BAL WITH THE R FUEL GAUGE. WE WERE GETTING INTERMITTENT EICAS FUEL IMBAL INDICATIONS. LOOKING AT THE MAINT DISPLAY WE COULD SEE THAT SEVERAL OF THE PROBES IN THE L TANK WERE RADICALLY LOW COMPARED TO THE R TANK. THESE PROBES WERE EVIDENTLY IN THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE L WING. THE RESULT WAS A FUEL IMBAL AT THE GATE OF UP TO 5000 LBS. OUR LIMITATION FOR TAXI, TKOF, AND LNDG IS 3000 LBS WHEN THE TOTAL MAIN TANK FUEL IS GREATER THAN 114000 LBS. WE HAD OVER 120000 LBS IN THE MAINS. WHEN MAINT ARRIVED THEY SIGNED THE ACFT OFF AS GOOD FOR FLT, NO LEAKS NOTED, ON THE BASIS OF B777 OPERATING MANUAL PINK BULLETIN HAVING TO DO WITH FUEL QUANTITY INDICATING SYS MALFUNCTIONS. THIS IS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE BECAUSE THE DISPATCH OF ACFT IS NOT GOVERNED BY THE ACFT OPERATING MANUAL, BUT THE APPROPRIATE MEL. WE CHKED THE B777 MEL AND IT SAYS THAT YOU NEED ALL 3 TANK INDICATIONS TO FLY TO EUROPE -- NO EXCEPTIONS NOTED. I THINK THE APCH TAKEN BY MAINT IS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN THAT IT ENCOURAGES PLTS TO ACCEPT ACFT NOT ON THE BASIS ON THE MEL, BUT ON SOME TOTALLY BOGUS CRITERIA COOKED UP BY MAINT.

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.

B777 crew had maintenance attempt to get crew to accept inoperative fuel quantity on an atlantic ETOPS flight that was not in accordance with the MEL.