Narrative:

During non scheduled operation involving a ferry flight of an aircraft that had just been delivered from overnight maintenance, and in which the crew was rerted at the last min, exacting additional time pressure, the #2 fuel tank analog gauge was misread. Scheduled fuel load was 14000 pounds. The #1 and #3 fuel tank gauges read at 5000 pounds each. The pointer on the #2 analog fuel tank gauge appeared to read approximately 5000 pounds as well. All fuel tank pointers were in the 11 O'clock position. However, the '1' on the #2 tank readout was covered by the pointer giving the appearance of a 14000 pounds total fuel load with the 3 fuel tanks reading at 5000 pounds each. The fuel service record and flight plan also indicated that 14000 pounds had been loaded on the aircraft, thus confirming what the crew thought we had seen. The error was discovered on arrival at destination during refueling. The #1 fueling valve was determined to be inoperative. Maintenance was called. MEL and flight dispatcher were consulted. Logbook entry was made and flight continued on schedule. Perhaps the valve failure occurred at origination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FERRY FLT DISPATCHED WITH FUEL LOAD 14000 LBS. FLC ALL 3 GAUGES AS CONTAINING 5000 LBS. POINTER ON THE CTR TANK GAUGE COVERED THE '1' WHICH ACTUALLY HAD 15000 LBS. DISCOVERED ERROR ON ARR. ALSO FOUND THE #1 FUELING VALVE INOP.

Narrative: DURING NON SCHEDULED OP INVOLVING A FERRY FLT OF AN ACFT THAT HAD JUST BEEN DELIVERED FROM OVERNIGHT MAINT, AND IN WHICH THE CREW WAS RERTED AT THE LAST MIN, EXACTING ADDITIONAL TIME PRESSURE, THE #2 FUEL TANK ANALOG GAUGE WAS MISREAD. SCHEDULED FUEL LOAD WAS 14000 LBS. THE #1 AND #3 FUEL TANK GAUGES READ AT 5000 LBS EACH. THE POINTER ON THE #2 ANALOG FUEL TANK GAUGE APPEARED TO READ APPROX 5000 LBS AS WELL. ALL FUEL TANK POINTERS WERE IN THE 11 O'CLOCK POS. HOWEVER, THE '1' ON THE #2 TANK READOUT WAS COVERED BY THE POINTER GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF A 14000 LBS TOTAL FUEL LOAD WITH THE 3 FUEL TANKS READING AT 5000 LBS EACH. THE FUEL SVC RECORD AND FLT PLAN ALSO INDICATED THAT 14000 LBS HAD BEEN LOADED ON THE ACFT, THUS CONFIRMING WHAT THE CREW THOUGHT WE HAD SEEN. THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED ON ARR AT DEST DURING REFUELING. THE #1 FUELING VALVE WAS DETERMINED TO BE INOP. MAINT WAS CALLED. MEL AND FLT DISPATCHER WERE CONSULTED. LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE AND FLT CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE. PERHAPS THE VALVE FAILURE OCCURRED AT ORIGINATION.

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.