Divert account fuel problem.

Attributes
ACN	258169
Time
Date	199311
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rdu
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 4400
ASRS Report	258169
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 18200 flight time type : 1480
ASRS Report	258364
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Departed orlando with 21000 pounds of fuel according to gauges (1000 pounds in center tank and 10000 pounds in each main tank). No other means to check fuel quantity anymore as we no longer receive fuel slips. Flight was then normal until in the vicinity of rdu. The captain noticed the 'insufficient fuel' light on the FMC. We then saw the fuel gauges indicating 5800 pounds in the left tank and '0' pounds in the right and center tanks. All fuel boost pumps were turned on and xfeed opened and ignition turned on. Suspecting gauge failure, circuit breakers were reset and fuel gauges tested to no avail. A descent was begun with precautionary landing considered. Fuel gauge failure procedure examined. Situation remained the same, so captain decided that since we had no idea whether the gauge failed or that we only had 5800 pounds of fuel on board, a precautionary landing at rdu should be made. After landing and checking fuel with dripsticks, it was found we indeed had the fuel -- approximately 5600 pounds in left tank and 8300 pounds in right tank. Reason for gauge failure unknown, so aircraft was svced with a known quantity of fuel, gauge was put on MEL, and flight continued on. Reason for imbal unknown also, but could have been during fueling, earlier balancing, xfeeding in descent, or center tank not feeding proportionately, or any combination of these -- none of which could be done correctly or noticed if the gauge was incorrect or on '0.' suggest pilots have backup to fuel gauges (such as fuel slips) to check fuel loads. Seems that since fuel is so important, it should not be a weak link in the system. Supplemental information from acn 258364: total block time mco-rdu was 1:31. That computes to approximately 8000 pounds burnoff. Rdu maintenance dripped the tanks and found approximately 14000 pounds on board. 21600 pounds - 8000 pounds = 13600 pounds. They found the fuel gauge in the refueling panel to be inoperative and the refueling valves in the open position. Rdu maintenance determined the right fuel gauge was inoperative. It was MEL'ed and I was dispatched to bdl using fuel gauge inoperative procedures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DIVERT ACCOUNT FUEL PROB.

Narrative: DEPARTED ORLANDO WITH 21000 LBS OF FUEL ACCORDING TO GAUGES (1000 LBS IN CTR TANK AND 10000 LBS IN EACH MAIN TANK). NO OTHER MEANS TO CHK FUEL QUANTITY ANYMORE AS WE NO LONGER RECEIVE FUEL SLIPS. FLT WAS THEN NORMAL UNTIL IN THE VICINITY OF RDU. THE CAPT NOTICED THE 'INSUFFICIENT FUEL' LIGHT ON THE FMC. WE THEN SAW THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATING 5800 LBS IN THE L TANK AND '0' LBS IN THE R AND CTR TANKS. ALL FUEL BOOST PUMPS WERE TURNED ON AND XFEED OPENED AND IGNITION TURNED ON. SUSPECTING GAUGE FAILURE, CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE RESET AND FUEL GAUGES TESTED TO NO AVAIL. A DSCNT WAS BEGUN WITH PRECAUTIONARY LNDG CONSIDERED. FUEL GAUGE FAILURE PROC EXAMINED. SIT REMAINED THE SAME, SO CAPT DECIDED THAT SINCE WE HAD NO IDEA WHETHER THE GAUGE FAILED OR THAT WE ONLY HAD 5800 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD, A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT RDU SHOULD BE MADE. AFTER LNDG AND CHKING FUEL WITH DRIPSTICKS, IT WAS FOUND WE INDEED HAD THE FUEL -- APPROX 5600 LBS IN L TANK AND 8300 LBS IN R TANK. REASON FOR GAUGE FAILURE UNKNOWN, SO ACFT WAS SVCED WITH A KNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL, GAUGE WAS PUT ON MEL, AND FLT CONTINUED ON. REASON FOR IMBAL UNKNOWN ALSO, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN DURING FUELING, EARLIER BALANCING, XFEEDING IN DSCNT, OR CTR TANK NOT FEEDING PROPORTIONATELY, OR ANY COMBINATION OF THESE -- NONE OF WHICH COULD BE DONE CORRECTLY OR NOTICED IF THE GAUGE WAS INCORRECT OR ON '0.' SUGGEST PLTS HAVE BACKUP TO FUEL GAUGES (SUCH AS FUEL SLIPS) TO CHK FUEL LOADS. SEEMS THAT SINCE FUEL IS SO IMPORTANT, IT SHOULD NOT BE A WEAK LINK IN THE SYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 258364: TOTAL BLOCK TIME MCO-RDU WAS 1:31. THAT COMPUTES TO APPROX 8000 LBS BURNOFF. RDU MAINT DRIPPED THE TANKS AND FOUND APPROX 14000 LBS ON BOARD. 21600 LBS - 8000 LBS = 13600 LBS. THEY FOUND THE FUEL GAUGE IN THE REFUELING PANEL TO BE INOP AND THE REFUELING VALVES IN THE OPEN POS. RDU MAINT DETERMINED THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS INOP. IT WAS MEL'ED AND I WAS DISPATCHED TO BDL USING FUEL GAUGE INOP PROCS.

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.