A B737-300 captain refuses aircraft prior to departure; due to a maintenance control deferral and th...

Attributes
ACN	798879
Time
Date	200808
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	798879
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

I refused the aircraft around 3 hours prior to scheduled departure of XA11 due to deferral of #1 fuel quantity gauge; by speaking with dispatch. Arrived at jet at around XX20 to find no maintenance present; so I called local maintenance for status. The person I spoke with did not know what was happening; and said would call me back. The re-fueler came up to aircraft and presented the fuel sheet. I specifically questioned him about how he determined the amount of fuel on board; and he showed me the fuel sheet stick readings which matched the requested fuel boarded to read 9150 pounds in #1 tank. The #1 fqi gauge read 9920 pounds. Maintenance showed up around XX35; worked in flight deck for around 15 mins; then left. Around 15 mins later; I was told that the deferral had been removed; and the aircraft had a new maintenance release stating that the fqi deferral was cleared. I then phoned maintenance control and asked how the deferral could be cleared; when there was such a large difference between the gauge readings and the stick readings. After having me on hold for at least 10 mins; he stated that he was making a new write-up; and shortly after a new aircraft was assigned to me for the flight. My concern is that a deferral was cleared; and a maintenance release issued; that was invalid due to the maintenance status of the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated maintenance had come on board and replaced the quantity gauges; but the fuel discrepancy remained. Although he was given another aircraft; the flight crew for the aircraft he was given; had been reassigned to the aircraft he had just refused. Reporter stated that captain also refused the same aircraft after seeing the fuel load discrepancy between the fuel sheet and the cockpit #1 fuel cockpit gauge. The maintenance release paperwork did not show a continuing issue with the #1 fuel quantity disparity.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CAPTAIN REFUSES ACFT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE; DUE TO A MAINT CONTROL DEFERRAL AND THEN CLEARING; OF #1 FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE THAT STILL HAD AN 800 POUND FUEL DISCREPANCY WITH FUEL TANK STICK READING.

Narrative: I REFUSED THE ACFT AROUND 3 HRS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEP OF XA11 DUE TO DEFERRAL OF #1 FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE; BY SPEAKING WITH DISPATCH. ARRIVED AT JET AT AROUND XX20 TO FIND NO MAINT PRESENT; SO I CALLED LCL MAINT FOR STATUS. THE PERSON I SPOKE WITH DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING; AND SAID WOULD CALL ME BACK. THE RE-FUELER CAME UP TO ACFT AND PRESENTED THE FUEL SHEET. I SPECIFICALLY QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT HOW HE DETERMINED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD; AND HE SHOWED ME THE FUEL SHEET STICK READINGS WHICH MATCHED THE REQUESTED FUEL BOARDED TO READ 9150 LBS IN #1 TANK. THE #1 FQI GAUGE READ 9920 LBS. MAINT SHOWED UP AROUND XX35; WORKED IN FLT DECK FOR AROUND 15 MINS; THEN LEFT. AROUND 15 MINS LATER; I WAS TOLD THAT THE DEFERRAL HAD BEEN REMOVED; AND THE ACFT HAD A NEW MAINT RELEASE STATING THAT THE FQI DEFERRAL WAS CLRED. I THEN PHONED MAINT CTL AND ASKED HOW THE DEFERRAL COULD BE CLRED; WHEN THERE WAS SUCH A LARGE DIFFERENCE BTWN THE GAUGE READINGS AND THE STICK READINGS. AFTER HAVING ME ON HOLD FOR AT LEAST 10 MINS; HE STATED THAT HE WAS MAKING A NEW WRITE-UP; AND SHORTLY AFTER A NEW ACFT WAS ASSIGNED TO ME FOR THE FLT. MY CONCERN IS THAT A DEFERRAL WAS CLRED; AND A MAINT RELEASE ISSUED; THAT WAS INVALID DUE TO THE MAINT STATUS OF THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED MAINT HAD COME ON BOARD AND REPLACED THE QUANTITY GAUGES; BUT THE FUEL DISCREPANCY REMAINED. ALTHOUGH HE WAS GIVEN ANOTHER ACFT; THE FLIGHT CREW FOR THE ACFT HE WAS GIVEN; HAD BEEN REASSIGNED TO THE ACFT HE HAD JUST REFUSED. REPORTER STATED THAT CAPTAIN ALSO REFUSED THE SAME ACFT AFTER SEEING THE FUEL LOAD DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE FUEL SHEET AND THE COCKPIT #1 FUEL COCKPIT GAUGE. THE MAINT RELEASE PAPERWORK DID NOT SHOW A CONTINUING ISSUE WITH THE #1 FUEL QUANTITY DISPARITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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 B737-300 captain refuses aircraft prior to departure; due to a maintenance control deferral and then clearing; of #1 fuel quantity gauge that still had an 800 pound fuel discrepancy with fuel tank stick reading.