Narrative:

Refueler at denver did not know how to refuel a B727 aircraft with an inoperative fuel quantity indicator. A delay was encountered until a competent fueler was located and fuel quantity in the tank could be verified. Additionally, fueler informed so he dropped the landing gear door to verify pitch and roll. He informed the captain he used a ladder to enable him to determine pitch and roll without dropping the landing gear door. The captain did not believe he verified pitch and roll at all. This was discovered after completion of flight. Supplemental information from can 508406: our B727 had an inoperative fuel gauge for the #1 fuel tank. One option is to empty all of the fuel out of the tank with an inoperative gauge and then pumping a known quantity of fuel into the tank by reading the truck meter. A second option is to check the drip sticks at each wing station and then correct the reading for variances in aircraft pitch on the ground. The refueler had already topped off the tank in question without first emptying the tank out. So the flight crew, in agreement with the FAA inspector on board, and in accordance with fuel service records procedures 7-00 and company mandatory bulletins, opted to have the tank checked for final fuel quantity via the drip stick method. The fuel service record makes no mention of emptying out the tank and truck metering an amount of fuel in the tank as a back-up to the drip sticks. However, the aircraft restrs manual is vague and unclr as to whether only one method is required, or both.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 WAS IMPROPERLY REFUELED WHILE HAVING AN MEL EXEMPTION ON AN INOP #1 FUEL GAUGE AT DEN, CO.

Narrative: REFUELER AT DENVER DID NOT KNOW HOW TO REFUEL A B727 ACFT WITH AN INOP FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR. A DELAY WAS ENCOUNTERED UNTIL A COMPETENT FUELER WAS LOCATED AND FUEL QUANTITY IN THE TANK COULD BE VERIFIED. ADDITIONALLY, FUELER INFORMED SO HE DROPPED THE LNDG GEAR DOOR TO VERIFY PITCH AND ROLL. HE INFORMED THE CAPT HE USED A LADDER TO ENABLE HIM TO DETERMINE PITCH AND ROLL WITHOUT DROPPING THE LNDG GEAR DOOR. THE CAPT DID NOT BELIEVE HE VERIFIED PITCH AND ROLL AT ALL. THIS WAS DISCOVERED AFTER COMPLETION OF FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM CAN 508406: OUR B727 HAD AN INOP FUEL GAUGE FOR THE #1 FUEL TANK. ONE OPTION IS TO EMPTY ALL OF THE FUEL OUT OF THE TANK WITH AN INOP GAUGE AND THEN PUMPING A KNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL INTO THE TANK BY READING THE TRUCK METER. A SECOND OPTION IS TO CHK THE DRIP STICKS AT EACH WING STATION AND THEN CORRECT THE READING FOR VARIANCES IN ACFT PITCH ON THE GND. THE REFUELER HAD ALREADY TOPPED OFF THE TANK IN QUESTION WITHOUT FIRST EMPTYING THE TANK OUT. SO THE FLC, IN AGREEMENT WITH THE FAA INSPECTOR ON BOARD, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH FUEL SVC RECORDS PROCS 7-00 AND COMPANY MANDATORY BULLETINS, OPTED TO HAVE THE TANK CHKED FOR FINAL FUEL QUANTITY VIA THE DRIP STICK METHOD. THE FUEL SVC RECORD MAKES NO MENTION OF EMPTYING OUT THE TANK AND TRUCK METERING AN AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANK AS A BACK-UP TO THE DRIP STICKS. HOWEVER, THE ACFT RESTRS MANUAL IS VAGUE AND UNCLR AS TO WHETHER ONLY ONE METHOD IS REQUIRED, OR BOTH.

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.