Narrative:

During preflight in cvg, the first officer and I discovered that the fuel quantity indicators did not agree with the fuel service record. The fuel service record showed: left tank 14700 pounds, right tank 14700 pounds and center tank 6600 pounds, for a total fuel load of 36000 pounds. The cockpit fuel quantity indicators showed: left tank 13300 pounds, right tank 14700 pounds, center tank 6700 pounds for a total fuel load of 34700 pounds. We called ramp and requested fueler and maintenance to check out discrepancy. The mechanic called in on headset and we described the problem to him and gave him the fuel quantity readings from the cockpit indicators. Several mins later he came back on headset and advised us that it appeared the left fuel quantity indicator was inoperative and he would place it on maintenance carryover (mco). The first officer pulled out the mechanical dispatch manual and discovered this item required dispatcher approval. When the mechanic arrived and began filling out the logbook and mco paperwork, the first officer verified the mco number and sent an ACARS message to our dispatcher. In the meantime I questioned the mechanic about the fuel quantity indicators and told him we would require a new fuel service record showing that the left fuel tank had been dipsticked to verify the fuel onboard. He showed me a slip of paper with the calculations from the dipstick readings and told me that the left tank wouldn't take any more fuel. There was 36000 pounds fuel onboard and a revised fuel record was on its way. When the fuel slip arrived I verified that we did have the correct fuel onboard and that a dipstick reading was noted. When the mechanic finished the paperwork, the first officer and I completed the before start checklist. We pushed back and took off for bdl. The takeoff and subsequent flight was normal. Shortly after leveloff, in the vicinity of pittsburgh, we were advised by our dispatcher that the right tank had been dipsticked in error instead of the left tank. In consultation with him we decided to divert into pit. I advised the flight attendants and then made a PA to the passenger. We proceeded to pit and made a normal approach and landing. After engine shutdown I reviewed the fuel service record and that was when I discovered that the fueler had indeed dipsticked the right tank and I had not caught the error. I think this situation occurred because in my discussion with the mechanic, all references were to the left tank. I assumed that since he had the fuel calculations that he had been involved in the actual process of dipping the tank. I had even asked him if he had been on the ramp with the fueler when the tank was dipped. He replied that he was. When the fuel record arrived I noted only that the correct amount was onboard and that a dipstick reading was recorded. I expected to see the left tank and that's what I saw. Evidently there was a miscom between the mechanic and the fueler, and I was too complacent in my examination of the fuel service record. In the future I plan to examine the paperwork more closely and to have the first officer double-check. Supplemental information from acn 544838: after leveloff, we received a message from our dispatcher that the right main tank had been dipsticked in error. Since we could no longer verify our correct fuel state, we diverted to pit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BECAUSE OF LATE DISCOVERY OF AN IMPROPER DIPSTICK PROC AT DEP ARPT. FUEL REMAINING IN TANKS DURING CRUISE WAS IN QUESTION. THE PIC OF A B757 PERFORMS A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG SHORT OF DEST AT PIT, PA.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT IN CVG, THE FO AND I DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS DID NOT AGREE WITH THE FUEL SVC RECORD. THE FUEL SVC RECORD SHOWED: L TANK 14700 LBS, R TANK 14700 LBS AND CTR TANK 6600 LBS, FOR A TOTAL FUEL LOAD OF 36000 LBS. THE COCKPIT FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS SHOWED: L TANK 13300 LBS, R TANK 14700 LBS, CTR TANK 6700 LBS FOR A TOTAL FUEL LOAD OF 34700 LBS. WE CALLED RAMP AND REQUESTED FUELER AND MAINT TO CHK OUT DISCREPANCY. THE MECH CALLED IN ON HEADSET AND WE DESCRIBED THE PROB TO HIM AND GAVE HIM THE FUEL QUANTITY READINGS FROM THE COCKPIT INDICATORS. SEVERAL MINS LATER HE CAME BACK ON HEADSET AND ADVISED US THAT IT APPEARED THE L FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR WAS INOP AND HE WOULD PLACE IT ON MAINT CARRYOVER (MCO). THE FO PULLED OUT THE MECHANICAL DISPATCH MANUAL AND DISCOVERED THIS ITEM REQUIRED DISPATCHER APPROVAL. WHEN THE MECH ARRIVED AND BEGAN FILLING OUT THE LOGBOOK AND MCO PAPERWORK, THE FO VERIFIED THE MCO NUMBER AND SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO OUR DISPATCHER. IN THE MEANTIME I QUESTIONED THE MECH ABOUT THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS AND TOLD HIM WE WOULD REQUIRE A NEW FUEL SVC RECORD SHOWING THAT THE L FUEL TANK HAD BEEN DIPSTICKED TO VERIFY THE FUEL ONBOARD. HE SHOWED ME A SLIP OF PAPER WITH THE CALCULATIONS FROM THE DIPSTICK READINGS AND TOLD ME THAT THE L TANK WOULDN'T TAKE ANY MORE FUEL. THERE WAS 36000 LBS FUEL ONBOARD AND A REVISED FUEL RECORD WAS ON ITS WAY. WHEN THE FUEL SLIP ARRIVED I VERIFIED THAT WE DID HAVE THE CORRECT FUEL ONBOARD AND THAT A DIPSTICK READING WAS NOTED. WHEN THE MECH FINISHED THE PAPERWORK, THE FO AND I COMPLETED THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. WE PUSHED BACK AND TOOK OFF FOR BDL. THE TKOF AND SUBSEQUENT FLT WAS NORMAL. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELOFF, IN THE VICINITY OF PITTSBURGH, WE WERE ADVISED BY OUR DISPATCHER THAT THE R TANK HAD BEEN DIPSTICKED IN ERROR INSTEAD OF THE L TANK. IN CONSULTATION WITH HIM WE DECIDED TO DIVERT INTO PIT. I ADVISED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THEN MADE A PA TO THE PAX. WE PROCEEDED TO PIT AND MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN I REVIEWED THE FUEL SVC RECORD AND THAT WAS WHEN I DISCOVERED THAT THE FUELER HAD INDEED DIPSTICKED THE R TANK AND I HAD NOT CAUGHT THE ERROR. I THINK THIS SIT OCCURRED BECAUSE IN MY DISCUSSION WITH THE MECH, ALL REFS WERE TO THE L TANK. I ASSUMED THAT SINCE HE HAD THE FUEL CALCULATIONS THAT HE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF DIPPING THE TANK. I HAD EVEN ASKED HIM IF HE HAD BEEN ON THE RAMP WITH THE FUELER WHEN THE TANK WAS DIPPED. HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS. WHEN THE FUEL RECORD ARRIVED I NOTED ONLY THAT THE CORRECT AMOUNT WAS ONBOARD AND THAT A DIPSTICK READING WAS RECORDED. I EXPECTED TO SEE THE L TANK AND THAT'S WHAT I SAW. EVIDENTLY THERE WAS A MISCOM BTWN THE MECH AND THE FUELER, AND I WAS TOO COMPLACENT IN MY EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SVC RECORD. IN THE FUTURE I PLAN TO EXAMINE THE PAPERWORK MORE CLOSELY AND TO HAVE THE FO DOUBLE-CHK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 544838: AFTER LEVELOFF, WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM OUR DISPATCHER THAT THE R MAIN TANK HAD BEEN DIPSTICKED IN ERROR. SINCE WE COULD NO LONGER VERIFY OUR CORRECT FUEL STATE, WE DIVERTED TO PIT.

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.