A B747-100 returned to the departure airport due to right wing heavy. Airplane fueled with #1 main t...

Attributes
ACN	727785
Time
Date	200702
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzzz.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	727785
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : unqualified personnel performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Chart Or Publication Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Departed ZZZZ with an estimated 217000 pounds of fuel onboard and with a #1 tank fuel indicating system inoperative and deferred. After takeoff the first officer who was flying noted a right wing heavy condition that required trim adjustment. Decided to return to ZZZZ. After landing found that the #1 tank was very low on fuel instead of the nearly full condition we expected (about 25000-30000 pounds). As a result we most likely departed with about 185000-190000 pounds of fuel which was inadequate for the flight to ZZZ1. The tank had been checked using the sticks by a contract employee and the readings were in error. The totalizer was most likely also in error as the tank appears to have been sending a full indication to the totalizer system at all times. As such; the refueling system was not working correctly and tank #1 would not accept fuel because the system sensed a 'full' tank and shut off refueling to that tank. The other tanks filled in the normal manner; tank #1 did not. At this time we do not know if this condition existed further back in time and the errors existed on previous legs. There may also have been some confusion determining the fuel on board from the fuel receipts as they were in liters and our arrival fuel numbers may have been wrong.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-100 RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT DUE TO R WING HVY. AIRPLANE FUELED WITH #1 MAIN TANK FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR DEFERRED AS INOP. REQUIRED MEL TANK STICK READINGS AFTER FUELING FOUND IN ERROR.

Narrative: DEPARTED ZZZZ WITH AN ESTIMATED 217000 LBS OF FUEL ONBOARD AND WITH A #1 TANK FUEL INDICATING SYS INOP AND DEFERRED. AFTER TKOF THE FO WHO WAS FLYING NOTED A R WING HVY CONDITION THAT REQUIRED TRIM ADJUSTMENT. DECIDED TO RETURN TO ZZZZ. AFTER LNDG FOUND THAT THE #1 TANK WAS VERY LOW ON FUEL INSTEAD OF THE NEARLY FULL CONDITION WE EXPECTED (ABOUT 25000-30000 LBS). AS A RESULT WE MOST LIKELY DEPARTED WITH ABOUT 185000-190000 LBS OF FUEL WHICH WAS INADEQUATE FOR THE FLT TO ZZZ1. THE TANK HAD BEEN CHKED USING THE STICKS BY A CONTRACT EMPLOYEE AND THE READINGS WERE IN ERROR. THE TOTALIZER WAS MOST LIKELY ALSO IN ERROR AS THE TANK APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN SENDING A FULL INDICATION TO THE TOTALIZER SYS AT ALL TIMES. AS SUCH; THE REFUELING SYS WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY AND TANK #1 WOULD NOT ACCEPT FUEL BECAUSE THE SYS SENSED A 'FULL' TANK AND SHUT OFF REFUELING TO THAT TANK. THE OTHER TANKS FILLED IN THE NORMAL MANNER; TANK #1 DID NOT. AT THIS TIME WE DO NOT KNOW IF THIS CONDITION EXISTED FURTHER BACK IN TIME AND THE ERRORS EXISTED ON PREVIOUS LEGS. THERE MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION DETERMINING THE FUEL ON BOARD FROM THE FUEL RECEIPTS AS THEY WERE IN LITERS AND OUR ARR FUEL NUMBERS MAY HAVE BEEN WRONG.

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.

A B747-100 returned to the departure airport due to right wing heavy. Airplane fueled with #1 main tank fuel quantity indicator deferred as inoperative. Required MEL tank stick readings after fueling found in error.