Narrative:

Crew had normal preflight, flight planning and departure from dca en route to mke. After level off at FL390, I, the second officer, noted that fuel quantity in #1 and #3 main fuel tanks were considerably lower than they should have been. #2 tank was normal. After checking for leaks, etc, we diverted to cle with a normal landing. At cle, the aircraft was checked with no abnormal conditions noted. The aircraft was cleared by maintenance and the flight continued to msp for termination. A possible refueling error was made at dca in that the fuel slip indicated more fuel on board from the previous flight than the aircraft logbook. Also, during the preflight and predep the second officer and the captain 'saw' the correct amount of fuel on the gauges. But the fuel was not apparently in the outboard tanks in correct amounts. Gauges may have been incorrect for some unknown reason. The second officer may have misread the gauges. The captain may have misread the gauges. Corrective action, a positive reconfirmation of the cockpit fuel gauges by the refueler may have helped prevent this problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT CRUISE LEVEL OFF FE REALIZED FUEL GAUGES INDICATED LESS THAN PLANNED FUEL. FLT DIVERTED TO CLE FOR LNDG. REFUELING.

Narrative: CREW HAD NORMAL PREFLT, FLT PLANNING AND DEP FROM DCA ENRTE TO MKE. AFTER LEVEL OFF AT FL390, I, THE S/O, NOTED THAT FUEL QUANTITY IN #1 AND #3 MAIN FUEL TANKS WERE CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. #2 TANK WAS NORMAL. AFTER CHKING FOR LEAKS, ETC, WE DIVERTED TO CLE WITH A NORMAL LNDG. AT CLE, THE ACFT WAS CHKED WITH NO ABNORMAL CONDITIONS NOTED. THE ACFT WAS CLRED BY MAINT AND THE FLT CONTINUED TO MSP FOR TERMINATION. A POSSIBLE REFUELING ERROR WAS MADE AT DCA IN THAT THE FUEL SLIP INDICATED MORE FUEL ON BOARD FROM THE PREVIOUS FLT THAN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. ALSO, DURING THE PREFLT AND PREDEP THE S/O AND THE CAPT 'SAW' THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL ON THE GAUGES. BUT THE FUEL WAS NOT APPARENTLY IN THE OUTBOARD TANKS IN CORRECT AMOUNTS. GAUGES MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECT FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. THE S/O MAY HAVE MISREAD THE GAUGES. THE CAPT MAY HAVE MISREAD THE GAUGES. CORRECTIVE ACTION, A POSITIVE RECONFIRMATION OF THE COCKPIT FUEL GAUGES BY THE REFUELER MAY HAVE HELPED PREVENT THIS PROB.

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.