Narrative:

Departed elp with fuel balanced and verified. Fuel load was 12.3 and burn was 6.2 +5. #1 fuel gauge became erratic and I began to test the gauges. It would test and then go back to 1000 pounds above what it was normally reading then stabilize. Eventually, it would then roll back to 1000 pounds less. Gauges had previous history and first officer and I had talked about this on the ground in dal. As flight progressed, burn out of #2 tank seemed to slow down. We then began to question whether #2 gauge was working properly. During all of this, we were monitoring whether aircraft was out of trim. Trim was normal and center tank fuel was normal (no inadvertent xfer). At this point, I decided to accomplish the low fuel procedure in the QRH. From approximately 5 mins prior to descent to arrival in sat, #2 fuel gauge was indicating 4500 pounds. During the flight, never got any low pressure lights, and indications all normal. Called sat and requested drip of tanks before fueling. #1 tank dripped +/-2000 pounds and #2 tank dripped +/-4500 pounds. Talked with dispatch and maintenance and told them I didn't feel comfortable taking passenger on aircraft, but that I would ferry aircraft. I feel that, with the information we had, we acted properly. I decided to ignore the perceived imbal in lieu of turning off any boost pumps. Also decided not to descend to conserve fuel. Alternate was not an option at point we realized we might have real problem. I feel aircraft had more than indication problem. Supplemental information from acn 607008: aircraft fueled in elp to dispatch requirements and checked for correctness with load planning. Fuel correct and balanced for push. Start, taxi, takeoff, and climb were uneventful. Just west of csi VOR, we noticed the left fuel quantity indicating lower than right. We monitored the fuel and just prior to descent, the captain said the split had gotten larger and after testing the gauges and not finding any popped circuit breakers, he accomplished the low fuel operation checklist. The #1 indicator had been written up for erratic operation but was signed off with new wiring. As we began the descent into sat, the right quantity indicator stopped decreasing. We flew an uneventful straight-in approach to runway 12R landing with 300-400 pounds above planned arrival fuel. Aircraft was dipsticked and confirmed the indicators were showing the correct amount of fuel. The problem appears to be in the #2 tank not feeding for the last 1/4 of the flight. Captain coordination with maintenance control and dispatch. Aircraft was written up and terminated in sat. Aircraft was then towed off the gate awaiting maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 CREW HAD CHRONIC UNRELIABLE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION.

Narrative: DEPARTED ELP WITH FUEL BALANCED AND VERIFIED. FUEL LOAD WAS 12.3 AND BURN WAS 6.2 +5. #1 FUEL GAUGE BECAME ERRATIC AND I BEGAN TO TEST THE GAUGES. IT WOULD TEST AND THEN GO BACK TO 1000 LBS ABOVE WHAT IT WAS NORMALLY READING THEN STABILIZE. EVENTUALLY, IT WOULD THEN ROLL BACK TO 1000 LBS LESS. GAUGES HAD PREVIOUS HISTORY AND FO AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS ON THE GND IN DAL. AS FLT PROGRESSED, BURN OUT OF #2 TANK SEEMED TO SLOW DOWN. WE THEN BEGAN TO QUESTION WHETHER #2 GAUGE WAS WORKING PROPERLY. DURING ALL OF THIS, WE WERE MONITORING WHETHER ACFT WAS OUT OF TRIM. TRIM WAS NORMAL AND CTR TANK FUEL WAS NORMAL (NO INADVERTENT XFER). AT THIS POINT, I DECIDED TO ACCOMPLISH THE LOW FUEL PROC IN THE QRH. FROM APPROX 5 MINS PRIOR TO DSCNT TO ARR IN SAT, #2 FUEL GAUGE WAS INDICATING 4500 LBS. DURING THE FLT, NEVER GOT ANY LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS, AND INDICATIONS ALL NORMAL. CALLED SAT AND REQUESTED DRIP OF TANKS BEFORE FUELING. #1 TANK DRIPPED +/-2000 LBS AND #2 TANK DRIPPED +/-4500 LBS. TALKED WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT AND TOLD THEM I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE TAKING PAX ON ACFT, BUT THAT I WOULD FERRY ACFT. I FEEL THAT, WITH THE INFO WE HAD, WE ACTED PROPERLY. I DECIDED TO IGNORE THE PERCEIVED IMBAL IN LIEU OF TURNING OFF ANY BOOST PUMPS. ALSO DECIDED NOT TO DSND TO CONSERVE FUEL. ALTERNATE WAS NOT AN OPTION AT POINT WE REALIZED WE MIGHT HAVE REAL PROB. I FEEL ACFT HAD MORE THAN INDICATION PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 607008: ACFT FUELED IN ELP TO DISPATCH REQUIREMENTS AND CHKED FOR CORRECTNESS WITH LOAD PLANNING. FUEL CORRECT AND BALANCED FOR PUSH. START, TAXI, TKOF, AND CLB WERE UNEVENTFUL. JUST W OF CSI VOR, WE NOTICED THE L FUEL QUANTITY INDICATING LOWER THAN R. WE MONITORED THE FUEL AND JUST PRIOR TO DSCNT, THE CAPT SAID THE SPLIT HAD GOTTEN LARGER AND AFTER TESTING THE GAUGES AND NOT FINDING ANY POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKERS, HE ACCOMPLISHED THE LOW FUEL OP CHKLIST. THE #1 INDICATOR HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP FOR ERRATIC OP BUT WAS SIGNED OFF WITH NEW WIRING. AS WE BEGAN THE DSCNT INTO SAT, THE R QUANTITY INDICATOR STOPPED DECREASING. WE FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 12R LNDG WITH 300-400 LBS ABOVE PLANNED ARR FUEL. ACFT WAS DIPSTICKED AND CONFIRMED THE INDICATORS WERE SHOWING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL. THE PROB APPEARS TO BE IN THE #2 TANK NOT FEEDING FOR THE LAST 1/4 OF THE FLT. CAPT COORD WITH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH. ACFT WAS WRITTEN UP AND TERMINATED IN SAT. ACFT WAS THEN TOWED OFF THE GATE AWAITING 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.