An MD80 flight crew departed with a fuel load discrepancy because the fuel gauge was an incorrect ty...

Attributes
ACN	703451
Time
Date	200607
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	703451
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	703447
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Arrived at aircraft in ord; running late and a lot of distrs; WX en route; unusual MEL item; takeoff data problems. On the preflight checklist; when we came to fuel quantity check; we checked the total and wings full but neglected to notice that there was no gauge for the auxiliary tanks. On the fuel check at initial leveloff; I started to take a fuel reading and was looking for the auxiliary tank gauge. Couldn't find it and made a call to maintenance control through dispatch. This is when we found out an incorrect gauge had been installed; because there was no auxiliary tank readout. Fuel xferred out of the auxiliary tanks normally. No excuse; we were rushed but definitely should have caught the inaccuracy of the totalizer of approximately 2400 pounds. There was nothing in the maintenance sheet about any fuel gauge; however there had been a fuel tank write-up. I suspect the aircraft had flown since then with an incorrect gauge installed. May not have been picked up due the very infrequent use of auxiliary tank fuel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT CREW DEPARTED WITH A FUEL LOAD DISCREPANCY BECAUSE THE FUEL GAUGE WAS AN INCORRECT TYPE.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT ACFT IN ORD; RUNNING LATE AND A LOT OF DISTRS; WX ENRTE; UNUSUAL MEL ITEM; TKOF DATA PROBS. ON THE PREFLT CHKLIST; WHEN WE CAME TO FUEL QUANTITY CHK; WE CHKED THE TOTAL AND WINGS FULL BUT NEGLECTED TO NOTICE THAT THERE WAS NO GAUGE FOR THE AUX TANKS. ON THE FUEL CHK AT INITIAL LEVELOFF; I STARTED TO TAKE A FUEL READING AND WAS LOOKING FOR THE AUX TANK GAUGE. COULDN'T FIND IT AND MADE A CALL TO MAINT CTL THROUGH DISPATCH. THIS IS WHEN WE FOUND OUT AN INCORRECT GAUGE HAD BEEN INSTALLED; BECAUSE THERE WAS NO AUX TANK READOUT. FUEL XFERRED OUT OF THE AUX TANKS NORMALLY. NO EXCUSE; WE WERE RUSHED BUT DEFINITELY SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE INACCURACY OF THE TOTALIZER OF APPROX 2400 LBS. THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE MAINT SHEET ABOUT ANY FUEL GAUGE; HOWEVER THERE HAD BEEN A FUEL TANK WRITE-UP. I SUSPECT THE ACFT HAD FLOWN SINCE THEN WITH AN INCORRECT GAUGE INSTALLED. MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PICKED UP DUE THE VERY INFREQUENT USE OF AUX TANK FUEL.

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.

An MD80 flight crew departed with a fuel load discrepancy because the fuel gauge was an incorrect type.