A C208 pilot reported a corporate maintenance facility mechanic asked that an intermittent fuel gaug...

Attributes
ACN	922319
Time
Date	201012
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Caravan 208B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	Cruise
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Fuel Quantity-Pressure Indication
Person 1
Function	Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 75 Flight Crew Total 42410 Flight Crew Type 1100
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Deviation - Procedural FAR Deviation - Procedural MEL Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

Narrative:

Our company has been doing regular maintenance on majority of our airplanes. During this week I have got every morning different airplane for use as an add hock airplane for that morning and different airplane for afternoon. On friday I have got airplane that just come back from maintenance previous day. During the flight left fuel gauge indicator was start showing erratic indications indicating full tank and shortly it would return to normal indication; and normal quantity. This kind of erratic indication continued few more times through the flight. On the way back to point of origin; fuel indications on left side did show normal quantities without any erratic movement. I have research the MEL and planning to defer the instrument gauge; however the fuel gauge was not one of items for deferral. Same airplane had west/B and poh removed out of airplane. Flight had been completed without any further any further incidents. In background after this incident; previous pilot reported that during drop/pick up airplane from corporate maintenance facility; he did reported mechanic problem with gauge but mechanic ask him not to put that item on logbooks (as that grounds airplane immediately) as gauge is showing only intermittent erratic indications.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C208 pilot reported a corporate maintenance facility mechanic asked that an intermittent fuel gauge not be entered into the maintenance log because it immediately grounds the aircraft.

Narrative: Our company has been doing regular maintenance on majority of our airplanes. During this week I have got every morning different airplane for use as an add hock airplane for that morning and different airplane for afternoon. On Friday I have got airplane that just come back from maintenance previous day. During the flight left fuel gauge indicator was start showing erratic indications indicating full tank and shortly it would return to normal indication; and normal quantity. This kind of erratic indication continued few more times through the flight. On the way back to point of origin; fuel indications on left side did show normal quantities without any erratic movement. I have research the MEL and planning to defer the instrument gauge; however the fuel gauge was not one of items for deferral. Same airplane had W/B and POH removed out of airplane. Flight had been completed without any further any further incidents. In background after this incident; previous pilot reported that during drop/pick up airplane from corporate maintenance facility; he did reported mechanic problem with gauge but mechanic ask him not to put that item on logbooks (as that grounds airplane immediately) as gauge is showing only intermittent erratic indications.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.