Narrative:

Flight was released jfk to ind with 25200 pounds of fuel. Captain requested top off fuel to 30000 pounds to stay below FL290 and avoid turbulence en route. No reference on dispatch release was made even though #3 tank gauge had been placarded inoperative 5 days earlier. During his preflight the F/east noted an additional inoperative item requiring a log book entry and sign-off by maintenance, whereby both maintenance supervisor and refueler entered the cockpit simultaneously. The supervisor was irritated and fueler was saying 'yes sir, the fuel is on board, its been metered and stuck.' after takeoff with the first officer flying and passing 10000', the first officer requested the captain to fly and observe the extreme amount of trim required to maintain wings level. Several shallow turns were made to confirm that indeed 3 degree to 4 degree of right rudder trim was needed to maintain wings level. By this time flight was westbound above FL180 and about 170 NM from pittsburgh. Dispatch was contacted and captain requested that flight stop at pit because of the extreme trim setting and inability to confirm just how much fuel was aboard the aircraft. During cruise at FL260, in addition to the trim required, it was also noted that the gauges were depleting at a 'normal' rate, so when #3 which was inoperative went below 2000 pounds on the gauge, it was decided that the flight continue to pit using the minimum fuel procedure of all xfeeds open an all boost pumps on. For the actual fuel on board could not be determined or confirmed. This confign prevailed until landing at pit, however, during cruise the rh aft #2 boost pump light came on for over a min several times and why is still unknown. Captain flew aircraft to pit avoiding steep banks/pitch angles and a straight-in approach was requested to runway 28R. Aircraft landed west/O incident at pit. At gate appropriate write-up was entered in logbook and tanks were drip sticked by maintenance personnel as follows. #1/6425 pounds, #2/2492 pounds, #3 1809 pounds at ramp. Supervisory maintenance personnel in kansas city released aircraft after fueling and crew flew pit-ind-mci west/O further incident. Supplemental information from acn 150308. The logbook signed off and the fuel slip. I said I had an open item in the logbook and no fuel slip. Moments later the fueler arrived with the fuel slip and an angry maintenance supervisor. I asked if the fueler sticked the tank. He replied, yes, the fuel was on board. I feel that we departed jfk with an improperly fueled eg approximately 7000 pounds less than required aircraft and because of extreme pressure to maintain published schedule confusion in properly ensuring the aircraft was not serviced satisfactorily.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT RELEASED JFK IND WITH INCORRECT FUEL LOAD.

Narrative: FLT WAS RELEASED JFK TO IND WITH 25200 LBS OF FUEL. CAPT REQUESTED TOP OFF FUEL TO 30000 LBS TO STAY BELOW FL290 AND AVOID TURB ENRTE. NO REFERENCE ON DISPATCH RELEASE WAS MADE EVEN THOUGH #3 TANK GAUGE HAD BEEN PLACARDED INOP 5 DAYS EARLIER. DURING HIS PREFLT THE F/E NOTED AN ADDITIONAL INOP ITEM REQUIRING A LOG BOOK ENTRY AND SIGN-OFF BY MAINT, WHEREBY BOTH MAINT SUPVR AND REFUELER ENTERED THE COCKPIT SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE SUPVR WAS IRRITATED AND FUELER WAS SAYING 'YES SIR, THE FUEL IS ON BOARD, ITS BEEN METERED AND STUCK.' AFTER TKOF WITH THE F/O FLYING AND PASSING 10000', THE F/O REQUESTED THE CAPT TO FLY AND OBSERVE THE EXTREME AMOUNT OF TRIM REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN WINGS LEVEL. SEVERAL SHALLOW TURNS WERE MADE TO CONFIRM THAT INDEED 3 DEG TO 4 DEG OF R RUDDER TRIM WAS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN WINGS LEVEL. BY THIS TIME FLT WAS WBND ABOVE FL180 AND ABOUT 170 NM FROM PITTSBURGH. DISPATCH WAS CONTACTED AND CAPT REQUESTED THAT FLT STOP AT PIT BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME TRIM SETTING AND INABILITY TO CONFIRM JUST HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ABOARD THE ACFT. DURING CRUISE AT FL260, IN ADDITION TO THE TRIM REQUIRED, IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT THE GAUGES WERE DEPLETING AT A 'NORMAL' RATE, SO WHEN #3 WHICH WAS INOPERATIVE WENT BELOW 2000 LBS ON THE GAUGE, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE FLT CONTINUE TO PIT USING THE MINIMUM FUEL PROC OF ALL XFEEDS OPEN AN ALL BOOST PUMPS ON. FOR THE ACTUAL FUEL ON BOARD COULD NOT BE DETERMINED OR CONFIRMED. THIS CONFIGN PREVAILED UNTIL LNDG AT PIT, HOWEVER, DURING CRUISE THE RH AFT #2 BOOST PUMP LIGHT CAME ON FOR OVER A MIN SEVERAL TIMES AND WHY IS STILL UNKNOWN. CAPT FLEW ACFT TO PIT AVOIDING STEEP BANKS/PITCH ANGLES AND A STRAIGHT-IN APCH WAS REQUESTED TO RWY 28R. ACFT LANDED W/O INCIDENT AT PIT. AT GATE APPROPRIATE WRITE-UP WAS ENTERED IN LOGBOOK AND TANKS WERE DRIP STICKED BY MAINT PERSONNEL AS FOLLOWS. #1/6425 LBS, #2/2492 LBS, #3 1809 LBS AT RAMP. SUPERVISORY MAINT PERSONNEL IN KANSAS CITY RELEASED ACFT AFTER FUELING AND CREW FLEW PIT-IND-MCI W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 150308. THE LOGBOOK SIGNED OFF AND THE FUEL SLIP. I SAID I HAD AN OPEN ITEM IN THE LOGBOOK AND NO FUEL SLIP. MOMENTS LATER THE FUELER ARRIVED WITH THE FUEL SLIP AND AN ANGRY MAINT SUPVR. I ASKED IF THE FUELER STICKED THE TANK. HE REPLIED, YES, THE FUEL WAS ON BOARD. I FEEL THAT WE DEPARTED JFK WITH AN IMPROPERLY FUELED EG APPROX 7000 LBS LESS THAN REQUIRED ACFT AND BECAUSE OF EXTREME PRESSURE TO MAINTAIN PUBLISHED SCHEDULE CONFUSION IN PROPERLY ENSURING THE ACFT WAS NOT SERVICED SATISFACTORILY.

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.