Narrative:

We began our preflight in plb by checking fuel on board. I noticed that the right fuel quantity gauge is slow to come up, while the left quantity gauge shows 600 pounds. Our release shows a fuel to quantity of 2600 pounds. We decide to top off the outboards in order to establish a known quantity, and I call dispatch on the radio to inform them of our request to top off because of a possible fuel quantity gauge anomaly. By the time the fuelers arrive, I'm seated back in my seat preparing for the flight. I've taken out the log to check if any write-ups in the past are related to the fuel gauge -- there are none. As I'm sitting there, I notice the fueler on the left wing is having trouble removing the left fuel cap. After a period of time, I notice he's begun fueling. Another period of time passes, and then we are advised the fuel truck has run out of fuel. I turn the battery on to check how much fuel we had taken on -- the left gauge shows 1100 pounds, the right gauge shows 1500 pounds. In my mind, I think that makes sense because the fueler on the right wing had gotten a quicker start, and also, the left wing fueler had made a comment to the right wing fueler, 'hey, you took all the fuel.' we now have 2600 pounds, equivalent to our originally released fuel to quantity, so we inform dispatch that we'd like to use 2600 pounds as previously released. This also allows us to leave on time. I begin xferring fuel as soon as we complete the engine start procedure. We take off with about 1200 pounds in the left tank, and 1400 pounds in the right tank, within our 200 pound imbal limitation. First officer is flying and we land in btv uneventfully. Because of the quick flight, we land in btv still showing 100 pounds imbal. While taxiing in and out of btv, I continue the xfer. It is my leg to fly. We depart btv uneventfully. We level off about the same time the fuel xfer completes. I turn off the fuel xfer. In our descent into bos we began to note that the right fuel quantity annunciator is flickering occasionally. Fuel was balanced in both tanks, each tank showing a little over 1000 pounds per side. We arrived in bos on schedule, but found ourselves at the fence waiting for a gate to open. During this 10 mins, we consulted the MEL to determine the steps required to MEL the right fuel quantity annunciator system. We note that we can comply with the procedure. Since I have seen in the past a fuel quantity annunciator illuminate intermittently with as much as 1200 pounds, we conclude that it is most likely an erroneous annunciator indication, given that we've had no abnormal trim settings, and the right fuel quantity gauge which has been operating normally indicated 1000 pounds. Since the right fuel quantity annunciator had been intermittent in nature, we decide to see if its behavior would change on the next leg before writing it up. We depart bos with just under 2000 pounds, well within our 1780 pound minimum to fuel required by our release. We note that the right fuel quantity annunciator is illuminated during taxi. About 1/2 way to hpn, the right collector tank low annunciator illuminates. We execute the collector tank low checklist. Still unsure what to believe, the fuel gauge or the annunciators, first officer checks the trim -- we are indicating '0' (neutral) trim. Both fuel quantity gauges are indicating 800 pounds. We continue uneventfully for about 5-10 mins, and begin to realize that we are creating a fuel imbal, nearing our 200 pound imbal limitation. We decide to discontinue xferring fuel. Soon after, first officer initiates our descent for hpn, about 30 mi from hpn. Through about 11000 ft, we feel a slight yaw and roll. I promptly begin xferring fuel again to the right tank. I monitor engine parameters and they all indicate normal. We land uneventfully in hpn, indicating about 600 pounds in the left tank, and 800 pounds in the right tank. We park the airplane on the gate and contact maintenance. We agree to top the outboards. The left tank takes about 153 gallons and the right tank takes 243 gallons. The right fuel quantity gauge indicates pegged, well above 2000 pounds. We call back maintenance and conclude with maintenance that the right tank was really empty, that the annunciator system was working properly, and that the right fuel gauge was indeed inoperative, so we MEL the fuel gauge. We report this series of events to the chief pilot the next morning. This is a copy of the report I filed with our company management. On the beech 1900D, 243 gallons is total fuel -- the right tank had been empty.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH 1900 HAS AN ENG BEGINNING TO FAIL FROM FUEL STARVATION AS IT DSNDS INTO HPN, NY. FUEL IS PROMPTLY RTED FROM A FULL TANK TO THE EMPTY TANK AND THE ENG CONTINUES TO RUN. AN IMPROPERLY READING FUEL GAUGE IS FOUND TO HAVE MISLED THE FLC AS TO HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ON BOARD THE ACFT.

Narrative: WE BEGAN OUR PREFLT IN PLB BY CHKING FUEL ON BOARD. I NOTICED THAT THE R FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE IS SLOW TO COME UP, WHILE THE L QUANTITY GAUGE SHOWS 600 LBS. OUR RELEASE SHOWS A FUEL TO QUANTITY OF 2600 LBS. WE DECIDE TO TOP OFF THE OUTBOARDS IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH A KNOWN QUANTITY, AND I CALL DISPATCH ON THE RADIO TO INFORM THEM OF OUR REQUEST TO TOP OFF BECAUSE OF A POSSIBLE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE ANOMALY. BY THE TIME THE FUELERS ARRIVE, I'M SEATED BACK IN MY SEAT PREPARING FOR THE FLT. I'VE TAKEN OUT THE LOG TO CHK IF ANY WRITE-UPS IN THE PAST ARE RELATED TO THE FUEL GAUGE -- THERE ARE NONE. AS I'M SITTING THERE, I NOTICE THE FUELER ON THE L WING IS HAVING TROUBLE REMOVING THE L FUEL CAP. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, I NOTICE HE'S BEGUN FUELING. ANOTHER PERIOD OF TIME PASSES, AND THEN WE ARE ADVISED THE FUEL TRUCK HAS RUN OUT OF FUEL. I TURN THE BATTERY ON TO CHK HOW MUCH FUEL WE HAD TAKEN ON -- THE L GAUGE SHOWS 1100 LBS, THE R GAUGE SHOWS 1500 LBS. IN MY MIND, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE THE FUELER ON THE R WING HAD GOTTEN A QUICKER START, AND ALSO, THE L WING FUELER HAD MADE A COMMENT TO THE R WING FUELER, 'HEY, YOU TOOK ALL THE FUEL.' WE NOW HAVE 2600 LBS, EQUIVALENT TO OUR ORIGINALLY RELEASED FUEL TO QUANTITY, SO WE INFORM DISPATCH THAT WE'D LIKE TO USE 2600 LBS AS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED. THIS ALSO ALLOWS US TO LEAVE ON TIME. I BEGIN XFERRING FUEL AS SOON AS WE COMPLETE THE ENG START PROC. WE TAKE OFF WITH ABOUT 1200 LBS IN THE L TANK, AND 1400 LBS IN THE R TANK, WITHIN OUR 200 LB IMBAL LIMITATION. FO IS FLYING AND WE LAND IN BTV UNEVENTFULLY. BECAUSE OF THE QUICK FLT, WE LAND IN BTV STILL SHOWING 100 LBS IMBAL. WHILE TAXIING IN AND OUT OF BTV, I CONTINUE THE XFER. IT IS MY LEG TO FLY. WE DEPART BTV UNEVENTFULLY. WE LEVEL OFF ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE FUEL XFER COMPLETES. I TURN OFF THE FUEL XFER. IN OUR DSCNT INTO BOS WE BEGAN TO NOTE THAT THE R FUEL QUANTITY ANNUNCIATOR IS FLICKERING OCCASIONALLY. FUEL WAS BALANCED IN BOTH TANKS, EACH TANK SHOWING A LITTLE OVER 1000 LBS PER SIDE. WE ARRIVED IN BOS ON SCHEDULE, BUT FOUND OURSELVES AT THE FENCE WAITING FOR A GATE TO OPEN. DURING THIS 10 MINS, WE CONSULTED THE MEL TO DETERMINE THE STEPS REQUIRED TO MEL THE R FUEL QUANTITY ANNUNCIATOR SYS. WE NOTE THAT WE CAN COMPLY WITH THE PROC. SINCE I HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST A FUEL QUANTITY ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY WITH AS MUCH AS 1200 LBS, WE CONCLUDE THAT IT IS MOST LIKELY AN ERRONEOUS ANNUNCIATOR INDICATION, GIVEN THAT WE'VE HAD NO ABNORMAL TRIM SETTINGS, AND THE R FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE WHICH HAS BEEN OPERATING NORMALLY INDICATED 1000 LBS. SINCE THE R FUEL QUANTITY ANNUNCIATOR HAD BEEN INTERMITTENT IN NATURE, WE DECIDE TO SEE IF ITS BEHAVIOR WOULD CHANGE ON THE NEXT LEG BEFORE WRITING IT UP. WE DEPART BOS WITH JUST UNDER 2000 LBS, WELL WITHIN OUR 1780 LB MINIMUM TO FUEL REQUIRED BY OUR RELEASE. WE NOTE THAT THE R FUEL QUANTITY ANNUNCIATOR IS ILLUMINATED DURING TAXI. ABOUT 1/2 WAY TO HPN, THE R COLLECTOR TANK LOW ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATES. WE EXECUTE THE COLLECTOR TANK LOW CHKLIST. STILL UNSURE WHAT TO BELIEVE, THE FUEL GAUGE OR THE ANNUNCIATORS, FO CHKS THE TRIM -- WE ARE INDICATING '0' (NEUTRAL) TRIM. BOTH FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES ARE INDICATING 800 LBS. WE CONTINUE UNEVENTFULLY FOR ABOUT 5-10 MINS, AND BEGIN TO REALIZE THAT WE ARE CREATING A FUEL IMBAL, NEARING OUR 200 LB IMBAL LIMITATION. WE DECIDE TO DISCONTINUE XFERRING FUEL. SOON AFTER, FO INITIATES OUR DSCNT FOR HPN, ABOUT 30 MI FROM HPN. THROUGH ABOUT 11000 FT, WE FEEL A SLIGHT YAW AND ROLL. I PROMPTLY BEGIN XFERRING FUEL AGAIN TO THE R TANK. I MONITOR ENG PARAMETERS AND THEY ALL INDICATE NORMAL. WE LAND UNEVENTFULLY IN HPN, INDICATING ABOUT 600 LBS IN THE L TANK, AND 800 LBS IN THE R TANK. WE PARK THE AIRPLANE ON THE GATE AND CONTACT MAINT. WE AGREE TO TOP THE OUTBOARDS. THE L TANK TAKES ABOUT 153 GALLONS AND THE R TANK TAKES 243 GALLONS. THE R FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATES PEGGED, WELL ABOVE 2000 LBS. WE CALL BACK MAINT AND CONCLUDE WITH MAINT THAT THE R TANK WAS REALLY EMPTY, THAT THE ANNUNCIATOR SYS WAS WORKING PROPERLY, AND THAT THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS INDEED INOP, SO WE MEL THE FUEL GAUGE. WE RPT THIS SERIES OF EVENTS TO THE CHIEF PLT THE NEXT MORNING. THIS IS A COPY OF THE RPT I FILED WITH OUR COMPANY MGMNT. ON THE BEECH 1900D, 243 GALLONS IS TOTAL FUEL -- THE R TANK HAD BEEN EMPTY.

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.