Narrative:

The subject flight was a mid-morning departure from mia destined for ewr. All preflight functions were performed in the normal manner. I noticed a fuel imbalance between the left (2900#) and the right tank (10300#). I brought this to the captain's attention. We were to be released with a total of 17200# and, due to the large imbalance, he requested 20000# of total fuel. This was to be evenly distributed between the 2 tanks. Although this was a large split, the aircraft had spent the night in mia and it was not known if the engines had been operated during that time with fuel coming from the left side only. Also the fuel gauges checked normal. All other events were normal until on climb out (captain at the controls) when I noticed more than normal right aileron control being used as indicated by the control yoke. I mentioned to the captain that it appears we have another aircraft that is out of rig. Neither of us thought anymore about this since on the previous evening we also had an aircraft that was difficult to keep properly trimmed. We completed the climb and leveled at our final cruise altitude of 37000'. After a # of assigned headings and clearance to intercept the arwy (AR7) we were cleared directly to wilmington, nc. On the way to wilmington (exact distance not recalled) the computer 'insufficient fuel' message flashed on and off several times. The computer was checked for erroneous data and found to be normal. The fuel gauges were both decreasing at the expected rate. However, the autoplt had increased right aileron input, indicating a possible fuel imbalance. The captain repeatedly checked the fuel gauges with the press to test switch for perhaps 10-12 times when it finally hesitated at a quantity below 3000#. The left side was closer to double that amount. We discussed the situation and concluded that we would need to stop for fuel. We believed that the right side may have originally only had 2900#, the same as the left side, but in any event, less than what we originally desired. The fuel controls were placed in the xfeed position. The amount of right aileron decreased as we progressed, confirming again that it was a fuel problem. Optional airports were discussed, including richmond, norfolk and washington dulles. The captain talked with the company via a phone patch and elected to change our destination to washington national. He informed the passenger of our situation and we received clearance to washington national, where he performed the lda runway 18 approach. To the best of my recollection, I noticed the final stabilized fuel reading on the right side of 1400 pounds (which may or may not be correct) and 1700# on the left side. My best estimate would be that we landed with 3000# of total fuel. I do not recall any indications after landing. It is my perception the fuelers should be required to undergo more extensive training in the areas of aircraft familiarization and verification of actual fuel load. In this case it appears that the fueler merely added fuel to the left side and went solely by the fuel gauges. A transfer of fuel to attempt to balance the load may have prevented this entire situation. In any event, a better way to confirm actual fuel load is necessary.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLT CREW LANDS SHORT OF DESTINATION WHEN AUTOMATED EQUIPMENT ALERTS THEM TO A LOW FUEL STATE.

Narrative: THE SUBJECT FLT WAS A MID-MORNING DEP FROM MIA DESTINED FOR EWR. ALL PREFLT FUNCTIONS WERE PERFORMED IN THE NORMAL MANNER. I NOTICED A FUEL IMBALANCE BTWN THE LEFT (2900#) AND THE RIGHT TANK (10300#). I BROUGHT THIS TO THE CAPT'S ATTN. WE WERE TO BE RELEASED WITH A TOTAL OF 17200# AND, DUE TO THE LARGE IMBALANCE, HE REQUESTED 20000# OF TOTAL FUEL. THIS WAS TO BE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED BTWN THE 2 TANKS. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS A LARGE SPLIT, THE ACFT HAD SPENT THE NIGHT IN MIA AND IT WAS NOT KNOWN IF THE ENGS HAD BEEN OPERATED DURING THAT TIME WITH FUEL COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE ONLY. ALSO THE FUEL GAUGES CHKED NORMAL. ALL OTHER EVENTS WERE NORMAL UNTIL ON CLBOUT (CAPT AT THE CONTROLS) WHEN I NOTICED MORE THAN NORMAL RIGHT AILERON CONTROL BEING USED AS INDICATED BY THE CONTROL YOKE. I MENTIONED TO THE CAPT THAT IT APPEARS WE HAVE ANOTHER ACFT THAT IS OUT OF RIG. NEITHER OF US THOUGHT ANYMORE ABOUT THIS SINCE ON THE PREVIOUS EVENING WE ALSO HAD AN ACFT THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP PROPERLY TRIMMED. WE COMPLETED THE CLB AND LEVELED AT OUR FINAL CRUISE ALT OF 37000'. AFTER A # OF ASSIGNED HDGS AND CLRNC TO INTERCEPT THE ARWY (AR7) WE WERE CLRED DIRECTLY TO WILMINGTON, NC. ON THE WAY TO WILMINGTON (EXACT DISTANCE NOT RECALLED) THE COMPUTER 'INSUFFICIENT FUEL' MESSAGE FLASHED ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES. THE COMPUTER WAS CHKED FOR ERRONEOUS DATA AND FOUND TO BE NORMAL. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE BOTH DECREASING AT THE EXPECTED RATE. HOWEVER, THE AUTOPLT HAD INCREASED RIGHT AILERON INPUT, INDICATING A POSSIBLE FUEL IMBALANCE. THE CAPT REPEATEDLY CHKED THE FUEL GAUGES WITH THE PRESS TO TEST SWITCH FOR PERHAPS 10-12 TIMES WHEN IT FINALLY HESITATED AT A QUANTITY BELOW 3000#. THE LEFT SIDE WAS CLOSER TO DOUBLE THAT AMOUNT. WE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION AND CONCLUDED THAT WE WOULD NEED TO STOP FOR FUEL. WE BELIEVED THAT THE RIGHT SIDE MAY HAVE ORIGINALLY ONLY HAD 2900#, THE SAME AS THE LEFT SIDE, BUT IN ANY EVENT, LESS THAN WHAT WE ORIGINALLY DESIRED. THE FUEL CONTROLS WERE PLACED IN THE XFEED POS. THE AMOUNT OF RIGHT AILERON DECREASED AS WE PROGRESSED, CONFIRMING AGAIN THAT IT WAS A FUEL PROB. OPTIONAL ARPTS WERE DISCUSSED, INCLUDING RICHMOND, NORFOLK AND WASHINGTON DULLES. THE CAPT TALKED WITH THE COMPANY VIA A PHONE PATCH AND ELECTED TO CHANGE OUR DEST TO WASHINGTON NATIONAL. HE INFORMED THE PAX OF OUR SITUATION AND WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO WASHINGTON NATIONAL, WHERE HE PERFORMED THE LDA RWY 18 APCH. TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION, I NOTICED THE FINAL STABILIZED FUEL READING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF 1400 LBS (WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE CORRECT) AND 1700# ON THE LEFT SIDE. MY BEST ESTIMATE WOULD BE THAT WE LANDED WITH 3000# OF TOTAL FUEL. I DO NOT RECALL ANY INDICATIONS AFTER LNDG. IT IS MY PERCEPTION THE FUELERS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO UNDERGO MORE EXTENSIVE TRAINING IN THE AREAS OF ACFT FAMILIARIZATION AND VERIFICATION OF ACTUAL FUEL LOAD. IN THIS CASE IT APPEARS THAT THE FUELER MERELY ADDED FUEL TO THE LEFT SIDE AND WENT SOLELY BY THE FUEL GAUGES. A TRANSFER OF FUEL TO ATTEMPT TO BALANCE THE LOAD MAY HAVE PREVENTED THIS ENTIRE SITUATION. IN ANY EVENT, A BETTER WAY TO CONFIRM ACTUAL FUEL LOAD IS NECESSARY.

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