Narrative:

This report is in reference to to aircraft a on 7/thu/88. During the night graveyard maintenance started to defuel the #2 tank which was on a placard, so the tank could be fueled with a known qty in the morning. While this was being done, #1 fuel qty indicator started showing erratic readings then went completely inoperative. Graveyard maintenance began trouble shooting along with maintenance control. This is about the time I arrived. I work day shift. I was informed about what was going on, and began assisting in trouble shooting the problem. After pulling up the history on the #2 fuel qty placard, I decided to try and fix the #1 fuel qty. It was at this point I contacted maintenance control and informed them that we were trying to isolate the problem and we would let them know something shortly. I then contacted operations and asked them if we could take the people from aircraft a and put them on aircraft B, which was not due out till XA40. After this I went back to the aircraft a and resumed trouble shooting. While trouble shooting I found the #1 fuel qty cannon plug on the aircraft fuel trimmer loose. I resecured this cannon plug and the #1 fuel qty began to work, but by this time the gate agents were starting to take passenger off aircraft a to aircraft B. I told the gate agent in charge that we had found the problem, but I would need about 10 mins to defuel the #1 tank to make sure the qty was correct. After contacting operations they decided to continue deboarding the aircraft. I continued to defuel the #1 tank and watched the gauges all the way to make sure the indication was correct. Once the #1 qty was verified to be working the captain and operations decided to reboard aircraft a. At this time I defueled #2 tank into #1 tank so that it could be filled with a known qty. Once this was complete, I started transferring fuel from #3 to #1 due to #3 having too much fuel. Once I finished this I ran downstairs to have the fuel truck fill #2 with a known qty. I took the fuel load which was in pounds and changed it to gals. Due to the fact it didn't have a calculator handy and the passenger being restless from being moved twice, I did the calculation on a sheet of paper and filled the aircraft with this amount. Unknown to me at the time was I miscalculated and was off by 1 decimal, thus giving an improper load. The plane departed and the improper amount was not detected until crew called and questioned the amount of fuel added. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the fueling error was on the low side. Aircraft took off, shortage was discovered and, although there was enough fuel to reach destination, it was decided to return for the proper fuel. Reporter was given a letter of reprimand and given some days off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT TOOK OFF WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL ON BOARD.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS IN REF TO TO ACFT A ON 7/THU/88. DURING THE NIGHT GRAVEYARD MAINT STARTED TO DEFUEL THE #2 TANK WHICH WAS ON A PLACARD, SO THE TANK COULD BE FUELED WITH A KNOWN QTY IN THE MORNING. WHILE THIS WAS BEING DONE, #1 FUEL QTY INDICATOR STARTED SHOWING ERRATIC READINGS THEN WENT COMPLETELY INOP. GRAVEYARD MAINT BEGAN TROUBLE SHOOTING ALONG WITH MAINT CTL. THIS IS ABOUT THE TIME I ARRIVED. I WORK DAY SHIFT. I WAS INFORMED ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND BEGAN ASSISTING IN TROUBLE SHOOTING THE PROB. AFTER PULLING UP THE HISTORY ON THE #2 FUEL QTY PLACARD, I DECIDED TO TRY AND FIX THE #1 FUEL QTY. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I CONTACTED MAINT CTL AND INFORMED THEM THAT WE WERE TRYING TO ISOLATE THE PROB AND WE WOULD LET THEM KNOW SOMETHING SHORTLY. I THEN CONTACTED OPS AND ASKED THEM IF WE COULD TAKE THE PEOPLE FROM ACFT A AND PUT THEM ON ACFT B, WHICH WAS NOT DUE OUT TILL XA40. AFTER THIS I WENT BACK TO THE ACFT A AND RESUMED TROUBLE SHOOTING. WHILE TROUBLE SHOOTING I FOUND THE #1 FUEL QTY CANNON PLUG ON THE ACFT FUEL TRIMMER LOOSE. I RESECURED THIS CANNON PLUG AND THE #1 FUEL QTY BEGAN TO WORK, BUT BY THIS TIME THE GATE AGENTS WERE STARTING TO TAKE PAX OFF ACFT A TO ACFT B. I TOLD THE GATE AGENT IN CHARGE THAT WE HAD FOUND THE PROB, BUT I WOULD NEED ABOUT 10 MINS TO DEFUEL THE #1 TANK TO MAKE SURE THE QTY WAS CORRECT. AFTER CONTACTING OPS THEY DECIDED TO CONTINUE DEBOARDING THE ACFT. I CONTINUED TO DEFUEL THE #1 TANK AND WATCHED THE GAUGES ALL THE WAY TO MAKE SURE THE INDICATION WAS CORRECT. ONCE THE #1 QTY WAS VERIFIED TO BE WORKING THE CAPT AND OPS DECIDED TO REBOARD ACFT A. AT THIS TIME I DEFUELED #2 TANK INTO #1 TANK SO THAT IT COULD BE FILLED WITH A KNOWN QTY. ONCE THIS WAS COMPLETE, I STARTED TRANSFERRING FUEL FROM #3 TO #1 DUE TO #3 HAVING TOO MUCH FUEL. ONCE I FINISHED THIS I RAN DOWNSTAIRS TO HAVE THE FUEL TRUCK FILL #2 WITH A KNOWN QTY. I TOOK THE FUEL LOAD WHICH WAS IN LBS AND CHANGED IT TO GALS. DUE TO THE FACT IT DIDN'T HAVE A CALCULATOR HANDY AND THE PAX BEING RESTLESS FROM BEING MOVED TWICE, I DID THE CALCULATION ON A SHEET OF PAPER AND FILLED THE ACFT WITH THIS AMOUNT. UNKNOWN TO ME AT THE TIME WAS I MISCALCULATED AND WAS OFF BY 1 DECIMAL, THUS GIVING AN IMPROPER LOAD. THE PLANE DEPARTED AND THE IMPROPER AMOUNT WAS NOT DETECTED UNTIL CREW CALLED AND QUESTIONED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ADDED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE FUELING ERROR WAS ON THE LOW SIDE. ACFT TOOK OFF, SHORTAGE WAS DISCOVERED AND, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH DEST, IT WAS DECIDED TO RETURN FOR THE PROPER FUEL. RPTR WAS GIVEN A LETTER OF REPRIMAND AND GIVEN SOME DAYS OFF.

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.