Narrative:

Flight crew observed aircraft being fueled using the pressure fueling system upon ar. Upon reviewing the aircraft maintenance log; crew learned that the aircraft had deferral MEL 28-25-03 that would prohibit it from being refueled using pressure system and requiring gravity refueling procedures to be employed. The flight crew noted that the MEL sticker required to be on the fuel service panel was missing so there was no way that the ground crew would have been alerted to not use the pressure refueling system. Maintenance control was notified that the aircraft had been svced contrary to the MEL restrs; and an entry was made in the maintenance log. A mechanic inspected the aircraft; installed a placard on the fuel service panel; signed off the write-up and the flight departed. I find that aircraft with inoperative pressure fueling system are fueled using the deferred system on a daily basis. I know from my own experiences; as well as from talking to other crews; that personnel will almost always at least attempt to use the pressure fueling system even with it is placarded; unless directed by the crew to use gravity fueling procedures. While I cannot remember any aircraft being damaged (yet); I know that aircraft have been damaged at other companies; and I know that at least one crew has been cited by the FAA after accepting an aircraft that had been fueled using the deferred system. I have suggested in the past that the MEL should require the pressure fueling cap be safety wired closed or in some other way locked to absolutely preclude the possibility of improper fuel servicing whether it be intentional or inadvertent. This recommendation was rejected. If an audit or surveillance of aircraft with deferred pressure fueling system were conducted; it would show that those aircraft are fueled using the deferred system in direct violation of the MEL on a daily basis.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65-200 CAPT RPTS PRESSURE FUELING USED WHEN SYS IS MEL'ED. CAPT NOTED THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.

Narrative: FLT CREW OBSERVED ACFT BEING FUELED USING THE PRESSURE FUELING SYS UPON AR. UPON REVIEWING THE ACFT MAINT LOG; CREW LEARNED THAT THE ACFT HAD DEFERRAL MEL 28-25-03 THAT WOULD PROHIBIT IT FROM BEING REFUELED USING PRESSURE SYS AND REQUIRING GRAVITY REFUELING PROCS TO BE EMPLOYED. THE FLT CREW NOTED THAT THE MEL STICKER REQUIRED TO BE ON THE FUEL SVC PANEL WAS MISSING SO THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THE GND CREW WOULD HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO NOT USE THE PRESSURE REFUELING SYS. MAINT CTL WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN SVCED CONTRARY TO THE MEL RESTRS; AND AN ENTRY WAS MADE IN THE MAINT LOG. A MECH INSPECTED THE ACFT; INSTALLED A PLACARD ON THE FUEL SVC PANEL; SIGNED OFF THE WRITE-UP AND THE FLT DEPARTED. I FIND THAT ACFT WITH INOP PRESSURE FUELING SYS ARE FUELED USING THE DEFERRED SYS ON A DAILY BASIS. I KNOW FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES; AS WELL AS FROM TALKING TO OTHER CREWS; THAT PERSONNEL WILL ALMOST ALWAYS AT LEAST ATTEMPT TO USE THE PRESSURE FUELING SYS EVEN WITH IT IS PLACARDED; UNLESS DIRECTED BY THE CREW TO USE GRAVITY FUELING PROCS. WHILE I CANNOT REMEMBER ANY ACFT BEING DAMAGED (YET); I KNOW THAT ACFT HAVE BEEN DAMAGED AT OTHER COMPANIES; AND I KNOW THAT AT LEAST ONE CREW HAS BEEN CITED BY THE FAA AFTER ACCEPTING AN ACFT THAT HAD BEEN FUELED USING THE DEFERRED SYS. I HAVE SUGGESTED IN THE PAST THAT THE MEL SHOULD REQUIRE THE PRESSURE FUELING CAP BE SAFETY WIRED CLOSED OR IN SOME OTHER WAY LOCKED TO ABSOLUTELY PRECLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPROPER FUEL SVCING WHETHER IT BE INTENTIONAL OR INADVERTENT. THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS REJECTED. IF AN AUDIT OR SURVEILLANCE OF ACFT WITH DEFERRED PRESSURE FUELING SYS WERE CONDUCTED; IT WOULD SHOW THAT THOSE ACFT ARE FUELED USING THE DEFERRED SYS IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE MEL ON A DAILY BASIS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.