Narrative:

Earlier maintenance in XXX had fixed a center tank valve that was stuck open. During fueling in YYY, I was told by maintenance that that valve did not want to open. A center tank valve stuck closed is deferrable per MEL so I reviewed the fuel requirements with dispatch and accepted a new release for 17000 pounds and no fuel in center tanks. Upon return to cockpit and E6 review, I noticed that YYY maintenance had voided their own center tank write-up instead of deferring it. When I asked for an explanation, he told me that name #1 deleted at ZZZ had told him that there was nothing wrong with that valve and that it was part of a normal operating system that keeps a center tank valve from opening with topped off wing tanks. I called ZZZ and was told by name #2 deleted that this diagnosis was correct and that the valve was acting by design to protect fuel tanks from some type of overflow. I accepted this explanation because I did not see a reason for anyone to lie about this since the item could otherwise have been easily deferred per MEL and ZZZ are the experts. The next day, I decided out of curiosity to track any subsequent maintenance write-ups on 2BB. Flight abc again had the center tank valve not opening and ZZZ has decided to replace the valve, a decision made by the same person name #2 deleted who a day earlier assured me the valve was functioning as designed. I feel that maintenance and engineering duped me into taking this aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: F100 CAPT LEARNED AFTER THE FLT THAT COMPANY MAINT HAD GIVEN HIM WRONG ADVISE ABOUT THE CTR FUEL TANK VALVE BEING NORMAL WHEN STUCK IN THE CLOSED POS.

Narrative: EARLIER MAINT IN XXX HAD FIXED A CTR TANK VALVE THAT WAS STUCK OPEN. DURING FUELING IN YYY, I WAS TOLD BY MAINT THAT THAT VALVE DID NOT WANT TO OPEN. A CTR TANK VALVE STUCK CLOSED IS DEFERRABLE PER MEL SO I REVIEWED THE FUEL REQUIREMENTS WITH DISPATCH AND ACCEPTED A NEW RELEASE FOR 17000 LBS AND NO FUEL IN CTR TANKS. UPON RETURN TO COCKPIT AND E6 REVIEW, I NOTICED THAT YYY MAINT HAD VOIDED THEIR OWN CTR TANK WRITE-UP INSTEAD OF DEFERRING IT. WHEN I ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION, HE TOLD ME THAT NAME #1 DELETED AT ZZZ HAD TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT VALVE AND THAT IT WAS PART OF A NORMAL OPERATING SYS THAT KEEPS A CTR TANK VALVE FROM OPENING WITH TOPPED OFF WING TANKS. I CALLED ZZZ AND WAS TOLD BY NAME #2 DELETED THAT THIS DIAGNOSIS WAS CORRECT AND THAT THE VALVE WAS ACTING BY DESIGN TO PROTECT FUEL TANKS FROM SOME TYPE OF OVERFLOW. I ACCEPTED THIS EXPLANATION BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE A REASON FOR ANYONE TO LIE ABOUT THIS SINCE THE ITEM COULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN EASILY DEFERRED PER MEL AND ZZZ ARE THE EXPERTS. THE NEXT DAY, I DECIDED OUT OF CURIOSITY TO TRACK ANY SUBSEQUENT MAINT WRITE-UPS ON 2BB. FLT ABC AGAIN HAD THE CTR TANK VALVE NOT OPENING AND ZZZ HAS DECIDED TO REPLACE THE VALVE, A DECISION MADE BY THE SAME PERSON NAME #2 DELETED WHO A DAY EARLIER ASSURED ME THE VALVE WAS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. I FEEL THAT MAINT AND ENGINEERING DUPED ME INTO TAKING THIS ACFT.

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.