Narrative:

I flew aircraft in question on previous afternoon shift (nov/xx/94). The captain and I determined that the wrong fuel gauge had been written up as inoperative previously that day. Captain that flew morning shift on nov/xx/94 said right fuel gauge was inaccurate. When aircraft was fueled per MEL instructions, I noticed that the left fuel gauge indicated approximately 1850 pounds of fuel and right gauge indicated 1600 pounds. Since full tank only holds 1600 pounds it was determined that the right side gauge was accurate and was mistakenly written up, when indeed it worked fine. Upon review of company operations manual and company flight manual, it was determined that the write up could only be cleared by the originating captain. Upon arriving at our domicile, the captain notified maintenance control that the wrong fuel gauge had been written up. The captain also left a note in the captain's box who wrote up the right side fuel gauge. The captain who wrote up the fuel gauge was flying on the morning of nov/xx/04. He did not correct write up nor had maintenance corrected it. The captain that I flew with on nov/xx/04 looked over the discrepancies prior to flight and saw that the right fuel gauge was MEL'ed. He assumed that the left gauge was accurate it read approximately 800 pounds, the right gauge read approximately 500 pounds. I did not get to go over the write ups with the captain, because I just assumed it was taken care of. I asked the captain who originated the write up if he got our note from the previous night and he said he still thought the right gauge did not work. Upon climb out, approximately 9 mi from mtj, I noticed both fuel quantity annunciators were illuminated. I called it to the captain's attention and suggested we return to mtj. Fuel quantity annunciators illuminated indicate approximately 650 pounds of fuel remaining. Captain suggested I level aircraft, I did, and annunciators extinguished. We resumed climb, and annunciators illuminated again. We decided to make a precautionary landing in gunnison, co, to get fuel. After fueling we proceeded to denver, our destination. This whole situation was a complete mess, and I should have been more alert and on top of things when aircraft was picked up upon start of shift. The first time I looked at the fuel gauges was during climb after I saw the fuel quantity annunciators. Although the original 1000 pounds would have been enough to get to denver, it would not be legal fuel. The captain that I flew with the previous evening should have grounded the aircraft, and this whole event would have been avoided, and I should have insisted it be done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LTT DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE AFTER THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON DURING CLB.

Narrative: I FLEW ACFT IN QUESTION ON PREVIOUS AFTERNOON SHIFT (NOV/XX/94). THE CAPT AND I DETERMINED THAT THE WRONG FUEL GAUGE HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP AS INOP PREVIOUSLY THAT DAY. CAPT THAT FLEW MORNING SHIFT ON NOV/XX/94 SAID R FUEL GAUGE WAS INACCURATE. WHEN ACFT WAS FUELED PER MEL INSTRUCTIONS, I NOTICED THAT THE L FUEL GAUGE INDICATED APPROX 1850 LBS OF FUEL AND R GAUGE INDICATED 1600 LBS. SINCE FULL TANK ONLY HOLDS 1600 LBS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE R SIDE GAUGE WAS ACCURATE AND WAS MISTAKENLY WRITTEN UP, WHEN INDEED IT WORKED FINE. UPON REVIEW OF COMPANY OPS MANUAL AND COMPANY FLT MANUAL, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WRITE UP COULD ONLY BE CLRED BY THE ORIGINATING CAPT. UPON ARRIVING AT OUR DOMICILE, THE CAPT NOTIFIED MAINT CTL THAT THE WRONG FUEL GAUGE HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP. THE CAPT ALSO LEFT A NOTE IN THE CAPT'S BOX WHO WROTE UP THE R SIDE FUEL GAUGE. THE CAPT WHO WROTE UP THE FUEL GAUGE WAS FLYING ON THE MORNING OF NOV/XX/04. HE DID NOT CORRECT WRITE UP NOR HAD MAINT CORRECTED IT. THE CAPT THAT I FLEW WITH ON NOV/XX/04 LOOKED OVER THE DISCREPANCIES PRIOR TO FLT AND SAW THAT THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS MEL'ED. HE ASSUMED THAT THE L GAUGE WAS ACCURATE IT READ APPROX 800 LBS, THE R GAUGE READ APPROX 500 LBS. I DID NOT GET TO GO OVER THE WRITE UPS WITH THE CAPT, BECAUSE I JUST ASSUMED IT WAS TAKEN CARE OF. I ASKED THE CAPT WHO ORIGINATED THE WRITE UP IF HE GOT OUR NOTE FROM THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND HE SAID HE STILL THOUGHT THE R GAUGE DID NOT WORK. UPON CLBOUT, APPROX 9 MI FROM MTJ, I NOTICED BOTH FUEL QUANTITY ANNUNCIATORS WERE ILLUMINATED. I CALLED IT TO THE CAPT'S ATTN AND SUGGESTED WE RETURN TO MTJ. FUEL QUANTITY ANNUNCIATORS ILLUMINATED INDICATE APPROX 650 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING. CAPT SUGGESTED I LEVEL ACFT, I DID, AND ANNUNCIATORS EXTINGUISHED. WE RESUMED CLB, AND ANNUNCIATORS ILLUMINATED AGAIN. WE DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN GUNNISON, CO, TO GET FUEL. AFTER FUELING WE PROCEEDED TO DENVER, OUR DEST. THIS WHOLE SIT WAS A COMPLETE MESS, AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERT AND ON TOP OF THINGS WHEN ACFT WAS PICKED UP UPON START OF SHIFT. THE FIRST TIME I LOOKED AT THE FUEL GAUGES WAS DURING CLB AFTER I SAW THE FUEL QUANTITY ANNUNCIATORS. ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL 1000 LBS WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO GET TO DENVER, IT WOULD NOT BE LEGAL FUEL. THE CAPT THAT I FLEW WITH THE PREVIOUS EVENING SHOULD HAVE GROUNDED THE ACFT, AND THIS WHOLE EVENT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, AND I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED IT BE DONE.

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.