B757-200 crew was not properly fueled with a center tank fuel gauge MEL'ed inoperative.

Attributes
ACN	534669
Time
Date	200201
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	534669
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Possible flight without needed maintenance action. The aircraft had the center fuel gauge placarded inoperative, so MEL procedures. The first officer monitored the sticking of all tanks with the fueler to verify the center tank was empty and total fuel quantity was accurate. The first officer arrived back in the cockpit with a fuel slip properly filled out indicating the proper fuel load. He aid that the fueler had said that the fuel stick for the left wing was missing and we were not sure if it was required. Maintenance was called and maintenance entered the missing stick in the logbook and deferred action saying it was not required since all other sticks and the left fuel gauge were operable. As the agent was ready to close the door for departure, and with fuel slip and signed off logbook in hand, we did not verify what maintenance said by xchking all MEL references. We found out later that with the center tank gauge inoperative, that possibly the fuel stick should have been repaired prior to departure and fuel slip completion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW WAS NOT PROPERLY FUELED WITH A CTR TANK FUEL GAUGE MEL'ED INOP.

Narrative: POSSIBLE FLT WITHOUT NEEDED MAINT ACTION. THE ACFT HAD THE CTR FUEL GAUGE PLACARDED INOP, SO MEL PROCS. THE FO MONITORED THE STICKING OF ALL TANKS WITH THE FUELER TO VERIFY THE CTR TANK WAS EMPTY AND TOTAL FUEL QUANTITY WAS ACCURATE. THE FO ARRIVED BACK IN THE COCKPIT WITH A FUEL SLIP PROPERLY FILLED OUT INDICATING THE PROPER FUEL LOAD. HE AID THAT THE FUELER HAD SAID THAT THE FUEL STICK FOR THE L WING WAS MISSING AND WE WERE NOT SURE IF IT WAS REQUIRED. MAINT WAS CALLED AND MAINT ENTERED THE MISSING STICK IN THE LOGBOOK AND DEFERRED ACTION SAYING IT WAS NOT REQUIRED SINCE ALL OTHER STICKS AND THE L FUEL GAUGE WERE OPERABLE. AS THE AGENT WAS READY TO CLOSE THE DOOR FOR DEP, AND WITH FUEL SLIP AND SIGNED OFF LOGBOOK IN HAND, WE DID NOT VERIFY WHAT MAINT SAID BY XCHKING ALL MEL REFS. WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT WITH THE CTR TANK GAUGE INOP, THAT POSSIBLY THE FUEL STICK SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED PRIOR TO DEP AND FUEL SLIP COMPLETION.

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.