Narrative:

I was the captain on an large transport with an inoperative #3 fuel gauge. The mle was checked and a fuel slip was required. The fueler came to the cockpit and checked the load. He told us he metered 11500# of fuel into the #3 fuel tank, as per our operations manual. We were short 300 pounds of fuel for release, so I had him put an additional 300 pounds in the #2 tank. The fuel slip was never delivered by him, and we had to get a fueling supervisor to get us a fuel slip. When the fuel slip arrived, it was sloppy but indicated we had the proper fuel load. It also had a stick (fuel) figure in the #3 fuel column. Since we are not allowed to use stick gauges on wing tanks, we ignored it since the fueler said he metered the fuel in and confirmed with the sticks. On takeoff the aircraft rolled toward the left and it took 2 units of rudder and aileron trim to hold wings level. I had the engineer burn all engines from all engines from the #1 tank until the aircraft trimmed out. We called dispatch and he confirmed the fueler metered the fuel into the #3 tank. We flew about 30 mins to get the aircraft trimmed. At that time we figured we were short 2500 pounds of fuel in the #3 tank at takeoff. Since we had 5000 pounds additional fuel and the WX in yyz was good, we got rereleased over stl with the estimated fuel on board and had dispatch check back with the fueler. About 45 mins later we received a computer message that the fueler shorted us 3000# in the #3 tank because he used the sticks to measure the fuel. If I were to do it again I would have inquired further into the reason he put the stick figure on the fuel slip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT DEP DFW WITH INCORRECT FUEL LOAD AND IMPROPER FUEL DISTRIBUTION.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON AN LGT WITH AN INOP #3 FUEL GAUGE. THE MLE WAS CHKED AND A FUEL SLIP WAS REQUIRED. THE FUELER CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND CHKED THE LOAD. HE TOLD US HE METERED 11500# OF FUEL INTO THE #3 FUEL TANK, AS PER OUR OPS MANUAL. WE WERE SHORT 300 LBS OF FUEL FOR RELEASE, SO I HAD HIM PUT AN ADDITIONAL 300 LBS IN THE #2 TANK. THE FUEL SLIP WAS NEVER DELIVERED BY HIM, AND WE HAD TO GET A FUELING SUPVR TO GET US A FUEL SLIP. WHEN THE FUEL SLIP ARRIVED, IT WAS SLOPPY BUT INDICATED WE HAD THE PROPER FUEL LOAD. IT ALSO HAD A STICK (FUEL) FIGURE IN THE #3 FUEL COLUMN. SINCE WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE STICK GAUGES ON WING TANKS, WE IGNORED IT SINCE THE FUELER SAID HE METERED THE FUEL IN AND CONFIRMED WITH THE STICKS. ON TKOF THE ACFT ROLLED TOWARD THE LEFT AND IT TOOK 2 UNITS OF RUDDER AND AILERON TRIM TO HOLD WINGS LEVEL. I HAD THE ENGINEER BURN ALL ENGS FROM ALL ENGS FROM THE #1 TANK UNTIL THE ACFT TRIMMED OUT. WE CALLED DISPATCH AND HE CONFIRMED THE FUELER METERED THE FUEL INTO THE #3 TANK. WE FLEW ABOUT 30 MINS TO GET THE ACFT TRIMMED. AT THAT TIME WE FIGURED WE WERE SHORT 2500 LBS OF FUEL IN THE #3 TANK AT TKOF. SINCE WE HAD 5000 LBS ADDITIONAL FUEL AND THE WX IN YYZ WAS GOOD, WE GOT RERELEASED OVER STL WITH THE ESTIMATED FUEL ON BOARD AND HAD DISPATCH CHK BACK WITH THE FUELER. ABOUT 45 MINS LATER WE RECEIVED A COMPUTER MESSAGE THAT THE FUELER SHORTED US 3000# IN THE #3 TANK BECAUSE HE USED THE STICKS TO MEASURE THE FUEL. IF I WERE TO DO IT AGAIN I WOULD HAVE INQUIRED FURTHER INTO THE REASON HE PUT THE STICK FIGURE ON THE FUEL SLIP.

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.