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B737-300 crew had an improperly fueled aircraft that resulted in a wing heavy aircraft, and unscheduled landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 568325 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200212 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bdl.airport |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : day.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1141 |
| ASRS Report | 568325 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 568326 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity lateral trim other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
On takeoff, right wing heavy needed 3 units aileron trim for straight and level. Noticed 4700 pounds #1 fuel tank and 9700 pounds #2 tank. Center empty. During preflight, #1 quantity read 10200 pounds, #2 read 9960 pounds. Everything normal during preflight. Fueler noted on fuel sheet, 'tank #1 will roll up 350 pounds after valve is closed' and that was noted on the cockpit gauges by the crew. Investigating the situation after takeoff, there was a fuel imbal and the quantity was now stabilized at 4700 pounds (no leak) and the aileron corresponded with a fuel imbal. Looking at the fuel service form, it showed #1 presvc as 8780 pounds and #2 as 4420 pounds. The actual presvc was 9200 pounds balanced on arrival to bdl -- not the 13200 pounds on the fuel form. It appears the #1 fuel quantity measurement system failed sometime between landing and when fuel servicing. We talked to dispatch and maintenance controller. Due to WX in ord and holding, we diverted to dtw for more fuel. Landed in dtw with the fuel balanced. #1 fuel gauge was deferred inoperative. After takeoff in bdl, the fuel gauge appeared to be working fine. When the tank was dripped in dtw, it corresponded with the gauge reading. Looking back at the fuel form in bdl, the gauge error existed before fuel servicing and was not caught by the fueler or the crew until airborne. Supplemental information from acn 568326: presvc fuel level imbal should have triggered investigation into the discrepancy.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-300 CREW HAD AN IMPROPERLY FUELED ACFT THAT RESULTED IN A WING HVY ACFT, AND UNSCHEDULED LNDG.
Narrative: ON TKOF, R WING HVY NEEDED 3 UNITS AILERON TRIM FOR STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. NOTICED 4700 LBS #1 FUEL TANK AND 9700 LBS #2 TANK. CTR EMPTY. DURING PREFLT, #1 QUANTITY READ 10200 LBS, #2 READ 9960 LBS. EVERYTHING NORMAL DURING PREFLT. FUELER NOTED ON FUEL SHEET, 'TANK #1 WILL ROLL UP 350 LBS AFTER VALVE IS CLOSED' AND THAT WAS NOTED ON THE COCKPIT GAUGES BY THE CREW. INVESTIGATING THE SIT AFTER TKOF, THERE WAS A FUEL IMBAL AND THE QUANTITY WAS NOW STABILIZED AT 4700 LBS (NO LEAK) AND THE AILERON CORRESPONDED WITH A FUEL IMBAL. LOOKING AT THE FUEL SVC FORM, IT SHOWED #1 PRESVC AS 8780 LBS AND #2 AS 4420 LBS. THE ACTUAL PRESVC WAS 9200 LBS BALANCED ON ARR TO BDL -- NOT THE 13200 LBS ON THE FUEL FORM. IT APPEARS THE #1 FUEL QUANTITY MEASUREMENT SYS FAILED SOMETIME BTWN LNDG AND WHEN FUEL SVCING. WE TALKED TO DISPATCH AND MAINT CTLR. DUE TO WX IN ORD AND HOLDING, WE DIVERTED TO DTW FOR MORE FUEL. LANDED IN DTW WITH THE FUEL BALANCED. #1 FUEL GAUGE WAS DEFERRED INOP. AFTER TKOF IN BDL, THE FUEL GAUGE APPEARED TO BE WORKING FINE. WHEN THE TANK WAS DRIPPED IN DTW, IT CORRESPONDED WITH THE GAUGE READING. LOOKING BACK AT THE FUEL FORM IN BDL, THE GAUGE ERROR EXISTED BEFORE FUEL SVCING AND WAS NOT CAUGHT BY THE FUELER OR THE CREW UNTIL AIRBORNE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 568326: PRESVC FUEL LEVEL IMBAL SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED INVESTIGATION INTO THE DISCREPANCY.
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.