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Inoperative fuel gauge forces drip stick measuring of fuel. Improper reading of drip stick, engine failure on overwater flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 249290 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199308 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : rjtg |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : rjtg |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 90 |
| ASRS Report | 249290 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 249303 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Prior to takeoff with #4 fuel gauge inoperative on a flight from anc to nre the fuel tank was drip sticked to determine known quantity in fuel tank both before and after fueling. Fuel calculations were made by adding the fuel gauge quantity prior to fueling, the amount pumped by the fuel truck and the known quantity from the drip sticking of the tank with the inoperative gauge. After 6 hours of flight the #4 engine flamed out from what was later determined to be fuel starvation. It was later determined that the fueler had incorrectly done the drip stick readings. Lesson learned: even if all the pilots do their job correctly, if the fueler doesn't read the sticks correctly, you will have a bad gas load. Please make it against FAA rules to fly with an inoperative fuel gauge. Too many errors result and the monumental consequences aren't worth the risk. Please get MEL's changed to not allow an airplane to takeoff without good gauges.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: INOP FUEL GAUGE FORCES DRIP STICK MEASURING OF FUEL. IMPROPER READING OF DRIP STICK, ENG FAILURE ON OVERWATER FLT.
Narrative: PRIOR TO TKOF WITH #4 FUEL GAUGE INOP ON A FLT FROM ANC TO NRE THE FUEL TANK WAS DRIP STICKED TO DETERMINE KNOWN QUANTITY IN FUEL TANK BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER FUELING. FUEL CALCULATIONS WERE MADE BY ADDING THE FUEL GAUGE QUANTITY PRIOR TO FUELING, THE AMOUNT PUMPED BY THE FUEL TRUCK AND THE KNOWN QUANTITY FROM THE DRIP STICKING OF THE TANK WITH THE INOP GAUGE. AFTER 6 HRS OF FLT THE #4 ENG FLAMED OUT FROM WHAT WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE FUEL STARVATION. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE FUELER HAD INCORRECTLY DONE THE DRIP STICK READINGS. LESSON LEARNED: EVEN IF ALL THE PLTS DO THEIR JOB CORRECTLY, IF THE FUELER DOESN'T READ THE STICKS CORRECTLY, YOU WILL HAVE A BAD GAS LOAD. PLEASE MAKE IT AGAINST FAA RULES TO FLY WITH AN INOP FUEL GAUGE. TOO MANY ERRORS RESULT AND THE MONUMENTAL CONSEQUENCES AREN'T WORTH THE RISK. PLEASE GET MEL'S CHANGED TO NOT ALLOW AN AIRPLANE TO TKOF WITHOUT GOOD GAUGES.
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.