Narrative:

On nov/xa/01 we took a delay at the gate while station people and contract maintenance attempted to comply with a fuel tank quantity MEL. The mechanic wrote in the logbook that he used the stick method, determined we were properly fueled, and stated to the fueler (who presented us with the usual fuel sip) that we needed to stick the tank. He said ok and I never saw him again. (We needed an additional fuel slip.) the contract mechanic was on the phone with maintenance control getting talked through the procedure. I was eventually presented with an xxy that was not properly completed. I had no reason to believe that waiting an additional 45 mins would have produced better results. I flew the same aircraft the previous night, when the right inner cell seemed to indicate a small quantity difference. After takeoff, the quantity reading matched, exactly, the quantity of the left inner cell. I also multiplied the gallons delivered to the airplane: 3403 gallons X 6.7 = 22800 pounds. That, plus the arrival fuel of 7100 pounds, gave me the dispatch fuel of 30000 pounds. The MEL mandates that the outer tank on the same side must work as well as the quantity used feature. Based on 7100 pounds, I knew there could not be any meaningful fuel quantity disparity in the right inner tank. I knew we had the required fuel and we departed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 319 CAPT RPTS AT NON MAINT STATIONS CONTRACT MAINT PERSONNEL ARE NOT TRAINED ON MEL SPECIAL PROCS FOR FUELING WITH INOP INDICATORS.

Narrative: ON NOV/XA/01 WE TOOK A DELAY AT THE GATE WHILE STATION PEOPLE AND CONTRACT MAINT ATTEMPTED TO COMPLY WITH A FUEL TANK QUANTITY MEL. THE MECH WROTE IN THE LOGBOOK THAT HE USED THE STICK METHOD, DETERMINED WE WERE PROPERLY FUELED, AND STATED TO THE FUELER (WHO PRESENTED US WITH THE USUAL FUEL SIP) THAT WE NEEDED TO STICK THE TANK. HE SAID OK AND I NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN. (WE NEEDED AN ADDITIONAL FUEL SLIP.) THE CONTRACT MECH WAS ON THE PHONE WITH MAINT CTL GETTING TALKED THROUGH THE PROC. I WAS EVENTUALLY PRESENTED WITH AN XXY THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY COMPLETED. I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT WAITING AN ADDITIONAL 45 MINS WOULD HAVE PRODUCED BETTER RESULTS. I FLEW THE SAME ACFT THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, WHEN THE R INNER CELL SEEMED TO INDICATE A SMALL QUANTITY DIFFERENCE. AFTER TKOF, THE QUANTITY READING MATCHED, EXACTLY, THE QUANTITY OF THE L INNER CELL. I ALSO MULTIPLIED THE GALLONS DELIVERED TO THE AIRPLANE: 3403 GALLONS X 6.7 = 22800 LBS. THAT, PLUS THE ARR FUEL OF 7100 LBS, GAVE ME THE DISPATCH FUEL OF 30000 LBS. THE MEL MANDATES THAT THE OUTER TANK ON THE SAME SIDE MUST WORK AS WELL AS THE QUANTITY USED FEATURE. BASED ON 7100 LBS, I KNEW THERE COULD NOT BE ANY MEANINGFUL FUEL QUANTITY DISPARITY IN THE R INNER TANK. I KNEW WE HAD THE REQUIRED FUEL AND WE DEPARTED.

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.