Narrative:

The purpose of this report is to give information describing the events as they occurred in 1/88 for flight leaving la to pittsburgh, PA. The flight started out normally but for one exception, the center tank 2 fuel gauge was inoperative. This was ok'd by the MEL, however, we were required to keep a fuel log to keep track of the fuel burn until tank 2 equalled tanks 1 and 3. In addition a known quantity of fuel was to be pumped into tank 2. The fueler brought our fuel slip on board after fueling us. The fuel slip indicated 11900# of fuel in tank 1, 22200# in tank 2, 11900# in tank 3 and 4000# in the auxiliary tank for a total of 50000 pounds. I verified this with our fuel gauges on board, 11900# tank #1, 11830# tank #3, 4080# in auxiliary tank and '22200 the known quantity' in tank #2 for a total of 50010 pounds. We therefore assumed that we had our required fuel. Shortly after the fueler left, a mechanic came on board to look at the fuel slip and questioned if we were fueled properly. I showed him the slip and told him we had 22200#. The mechanic said that he would go check the fuel and I verified this by asking him to do so. Before our pushback, I reminded the captain to ask the pushback crew about the mechanic who was checking the fuel, they said all was ok. So, we therefore commenced our push after receiving clearance from ground control. (We were convinced that we had 50000 pounds of fuel on board.) after a short taxi to 24L we took off with, according to the fuel log, 49500# of fuel which would get us to pit with 12900# left. After an hour of flight I noticed 3 boost pump lights on in tank 2 indicating a possible malfunction. After a few checks that we made we called to talk to our tech center to see if they could help us solve the problem. After several more checks they suggested that the fuel tank may be low on fuel. We decided to divert to den to get the problem solved (we still weren't fully convinced that it was a fuel problem). We arrived in den. After closer inspection on the ground we were able to determine that we were misfueled in lax. It is apparent now that the fueler failed to convert properly gallons to pounds and this, coupled with an inoperative fuel gauge (a bad scenario), caused us to be misfueled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE BECAUSE THEY DEPARTED LAX WITH INCORRECT FUEL LOAD. THE #2 FUEL GAUGE WAS INOP.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS TO GIVE INFO DESCRIBING THE EVENTS AS THEY OCCURRED IN 1/88 FOR FLT LEAVING LA TO PITTSBURGH, PA. THE FLT STARTED OUT NORMALLY BUT FOR ONE EXCEPTION, THE CENTER TANK 2 FUEL GAUGE WAS INOP. THIS WAS OK'D BY THE MEL, HOWEVER, WE WERE REQUIRED TO KEEP A FUEL LOG TO KEEP TRACK OF THE FUEL BURN UNTIL TANK 2 EQUALLED TANKS 1 AND 3. IN ADDITION A KNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL WAS TO BE PUMPED INTO TANK 2. THE FUELER BROUGHT OUR FUEL SLIP ON BOARD AFTER FUELING US. THE FUEL SLIP INDICATED 11900# OF FUEL IN TANK 1, 22200# IN TANK 2, 11900# IN TANK 3 AND 4000# IN THE AUX TANK FOR A TOTAL OF 50000 LBS. I VERIFIED THIS WITH OUR FUEL GAUGES ON BOARD, 11900# TANK #1, 11830# TANK #3, 4080# IN AUX TANK AND '22200 THE KNOWN QUANTITY' IN TANK #2 FOR A TOTAL OF 50010 LBS. WE THEREFORE ASSUMED THAT WE HAD OUR REQUIRED FUEL. SHORTLY AFTER THE FUELER LEFT, A MECHANIC CAME ON BOARD TO LOOK AT THE FUEL SLIP AND QUESTIONED IF WE WERE FUELED PROPERLY. I SHOWED HIM THE SLIP AND TOLD HIM WE HAD 22200#. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT HE WOULD GO CHK THE FUEL AND I VERIFIED THIS BY ASKING HIM TO DO SO. BEFORE OUR PUSHBACK, I REMINDED THE CAPT TO ASK THE PUSHBACK CREW ABOUT THE MECHANIC WHO WAS CHKING THE FUEL, THEY SAID ALL WAS OK. SO, WE THEREFORE COMMENCED OUR PUSH AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC FROM GND CTL. (WE WERE CONVINCED THAT WE HAD 50000 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD.) AFTER A SHORT TAXI TO 24L WE TOOK OFF WITH, ACCORDING TO THE FUEL LOG, 49500# OF FUEL WHICH WOULD GET US TO PIT WITH 12900# LEFT. AFTER AN HR OF FLT I NOTICED 3 BOOST PUMP LIGHTS ON IN TANK 2 INDICATING A POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION. AFTER A FEW CHKS THAT WE MADE WE CALLED TO TALK TO OUR TECH CENTER TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP US SOLVE THE PROB. AFTER SEVERAL MORE CHKS THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE FUEL TANK MAY BE LOW ON FUEL. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO DEN TO GET THE PROB SOLVED (WE STILL WEREN'T FULLY CONVINCED THAT IT WAS A FUEL PROB). WE ARRIVED IN DEN. AFTER CLOSER INSPECTION ON THE GND WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT WE WERE MISFUELED IN LAX. IT IS APPARENT NOW THAT THE FUELER FAILED TO CONVERT PROPERLY GALLONS TO LBS AND THIS, COUPLED WITH AN INOP FUEL GAUGE (A BAD SCENARIO), CAUSED US TO BE MISFUELED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.