Narrative:

On liftoff from sfo en route san a 3000 pound discrepancy between the left main (low) and the right main indications of fuel quantities was noted. The aircraft was trimmed, the fuel balanced to within 1000 pounds and the aircraft was flown to san and an IFR approach to landing was made. The 3000 pound discrepancy allowed us 1 approach only before we would have had to go to our burbank alternate. This aircraft has a history of mysterious shifting of fuel quantities. During preflight and during checklist execution the fuel quantities were verified 3 times by myself and the copilot. We did not receive a fuel slip. Evidently maintenance did not get it to us and the agent did not check the fuel load with us. Procedurally, the fueler should be the only one to handle the fuel slip, giving it to the captain. Maintenance should not be in the middle. This type of incident occurs not as infrequently as we would like. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after takeoff and the fuel imbal was noted we transferred fuel to within 1000 pounds balance and proceeded to destination. We were uncertain if we had a fuel gauge problem or not enough fuel had been loaded on 1 side or if we were short fuel. Played the game down the middle and balanced within 1000 pounds and determined we would land but not try to stretch fuel that we might not have inasmuch as we had no fuel slip to verify how much fuel had been loaded.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL QUANTITY CHKED BY FUEL GAUGES BEFORE TKOF. NO FUELING SLIP PROVIDED. IN AIR 3000 POUND DIFFERENTIAL WAS INDICATED ON GAUGES. FUEL TRANSFER TO BAL.

Narrative: ON LIFTOFF FROM SFO ENRTE SAN A 3000 POUND DISCREPANCY BTWN THE L MAIN (LOW) AND THE R MAIN INDICATIONS OF FUEL QUANTITIES WAS NOTED. THE ACFT WAS TRIMMED, THE FUEL BALANCED TO WITHIN 1000 POUNDS AND THE ACFT WAS FLOWN TO SAN AND AN IFR APCH TO LNDG WAS MADE. THE 3000 POUND DISCREPANCY ALLOWED US 1 APCH ONLY BEFORE WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO GO TO OUR BURBANK ALTERNATE. THIS ACFT HAS A HISTORY OF MYSTERIOUS SHIFTING OF FUEL QUANTITIES. DURING PREFLT AND DURING CHKLIST EXECUTION THE FUEL QUANTITIES WERE VERIFIED 3 TIMES BY MYSELF AND THE COPLT. WE DID NOT RECEIVE A FUEL SLIP. EVIDENTLY MAINT DID NOT GET IT TO US AND THE AGENT DID NOT CHK THE FUEL LOAD WITH US. PROCEDURALLY, THE FUELER SHOULD BE THE ONLY ONE TO HANDLE THE FUEL SLIP, GIVING IT TO THE CAPT. MAINT SHOULD NOT BE IN THE MIDDLE. THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT OCCURS NOT AS INFREQUENTLY AS WE WOULD LIKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER TKOF AND THE FUEL IMBAL WAS NOTED WE TRANSFERRED FUEL TO WITHIN 1000 POUNDS BAL AND PROCEEDED TO DEST. WE WERE UNCERTAIN IF WE HAD A FUEL GAUGE PROBLEM OR NOT ENOUGH FUEL HAD BEEN LOADED ON 1 SIDE OR IF WE WERE SHORT FUEL. PLAYED THE GAME DOWN THE MIDDLE AND BALANCED WITHIN 1000 POUNDS AND DETERMINED WE WOULD LAND BUT NOT TRY TO STRETCH FUEL THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE INASMUCH AS WE HAD NO FUEL SLIP TO VERIFY HOW MUCH FUEL HAD BEEN LOADED.

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.