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Air carrier large transport had to return land when flight crew discovers that they had departed without fuel required.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 167577 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199101 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : crp |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : crp artcc : zlc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 167577 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Our aircraft for the flight from crp to iah had an inoperative #1 fuel gauge. Company procedures call for the tank to be defueled then refilled with a known quantity. Also a certified mechanic must verify that this is done and make an entry stating this in the aircraft logbook. All of this was accomplished by the refueler who was also a contract mechanic. The entry stated that the #1 tank was defueled, that 1500 pounds were xferred to #1 tank and then 100 gals added to make a total of 8200 pounds of fuel in #1 tank. You will notice that 100 gals times 6.7 ppg equals 670 pounds. So that the #1 tank contained approximately 2170 pounds of fuel. I read the logbook entry and read it again to the captain and copilot. I calculated in my head 6.7 times 100 and came up with 6700 as did the fueler. Reading the logbook entry reinforced my calculation. The #1 fuel gauge actually read 2400 pounds even though it was placarded inoperative. Normal start taxi and takeoff procedures were followed and after takeoff a large amount of left aileron was needed to keep the wings level. We determined something was not right and I immediately recalculated the fuel and realized the error. I stated this to the captain and we returned for a normal landing. The fueling error was corrected and then followed by normal flight to iah. Moral: don't trust the mechanics calculations and do your own on a calculator, twice.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR LGT HAD TO RETURN LAND WHEN FLT CREW DISCOVERS THAT THEY HAD DEPARTED WITHOUT FUEL REQUIRED.
Narrative: OUR ACFT FOR THE FLT FROM CRP TO IAH HAD AN INOPERATIVE #1 FUEL GAUGE. COMPANY PROCS CALL FOR THE TANK TO BE DEFUELED THEN REFILLED WITH A KNOWN QUANTITY. ALSO A CERTIFIED MECH MUST VERIFY THAT THIS IS DONE AND MAKE AN ENTRY STATING THIS IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. ALL OF THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE REFUELER WHO WAS ALSO A CONTRACT MECH. THE ENTRY STATED THAT THE #1 TANK WAS DEFUELED, THAT 1500 LBS WERE XFERRED TO #1 TANK AND THEN 100 GALS ADDED TO MAKE A TOTAL OF 8200 LBS OF FUEL IN #1 TANK. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT 100 GALS TIMES 6.7 PPG EQUALS 670 LBS. SO THAT THE #1 TANK CONTAINED APPROX 2170 LBS OF FUEL. I READ THE LOGBOOK ENTRY AND READ IT AGAIN TO THE CAPT AND COPLT. I CALCULATED IN MY HEAD 6.7 TIMES 100 AND CAME UP WITH 6700 AS DID THE FUELER. READING THE LOGBOOK ENTRY REINFORCED MY CALCULATION. THE #1 FUEL GAUGE ACTUALLY READ 2400 LBS EVEN THOUGH IT WAS PLACARDED INOPERATIVE. NORMAL START TAXI AND TKOF PROCS WERE FOLLOWED AND AFTER TKOF A LARGE AMOUNT OF L AILERON WAS NEEDED TO KEEP THE WINGS LEVEL. WE DETERMINED SOMETHING WAS NOT R AND I IMMEDIATELY RECALCULATED THE FUEL AND REALIZED THE ERROR. I STATED THIS TO THE CAPT AND WE RETURNED FOR A NORMAL LNDG. THE FUELING ERROR WAS CORRECTED AND THEN FOLLOWED BY NORMAL FLT TO IAH. MORAL: DON'T TRUST THE MECHS CALCULATIONS AND DO YOUR OWN ON A CALCULATOR, TWICE.
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.