Narrative:

After fueling, #3 main tank indicator was at 78700 pounds. It should have been over 82000 pounds for our flight to anc. The fueler could not get any more in the tank as the top-off/shut-off had stopped the fueling. The tank drip sticks were checked and confirmed 82400 pounds in the tank. With an inoperative gauge, maintenance is supposed to give me a special fuel slip and comply with an MEL. The problem is they cited a paragraph in the MEL which states 'for all flts that additional fuel is not required.' this paragraph then states that only a drip stick reading is needed. Maintenance control said that since the inoperative indicator was not discovered until fueling was complete, no additional fuel was required, thus no special fuel form. My contention is that the 'no fuel required' statement meant no fuel at the station was required, ie, a flight from msp to mke then on to dtw and the aircraft was fueled in msp for both legs. Maintenance control's problem was that in order to fill out the inoperative fuel indicator form, they would have had to take a stick reading before and after fueling. They had not done this since the indicator had not been written up prior to fueling. The only option left would have been to completely drain the tank and fill with a known quantity. This would have taken hours and ended up with 82000 pounds of contaminated fuel. Though I didn't agree with using the 'no additional fuel required' paragraph, I was confident I really did have the proper amount of fuel on the aircraft for the flight, so I elected to depart for anc.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 CARGO FLT REFUELED AT KANSAI INTL (RJBB) OSAKA, JAPAN, ONLY TO FIND THAT THEIR #3 TANK FUEL GAUGE WAS MALFUNCTIONING. COMPANY MAINT USED A TEXTUAL PROC TO BYPASS ANY DRAINING OF THAT TANK FOR AN ON-TIME DEP FOR ANC, AK.

Narrative: AFTER FUELING, #3 MAIN TANK INDICATOR WAS AT 78700 LBS. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OVER 82000 LBS FOR OUR FLT TO ANC. THE FUELER COULD NOT GET ANY MORE IN THE TANK AS THE TOP-OFF/SHUT-OFF HAD STOPPED THE FUELING. THE TANK DRIP STICKS WERE CHKED AND CONFIRMED 82400 LBS IN THE TANK. WITH AN INOP GAUGE, MAINT IS SUPPOSED TO GIVE ME A SPECIAL FUEL SLIP AND COMPLY WITH AN MEL. THE PROB IS THEY CITED A PARAGRAPH IN THE MEL WHICH STATES 'FOR ALL FLTS THAT ADDITIONAL FUEL IS NOT REQUIRED.' THIS PARAGRAPH THEN STATES THAT ONLY A DRIP STICK READING IS NEEDED. MAINT CTL SAID THAT SINCE THE INOP INDICATOR WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL FUELING WAS COMPLETE, NO ADDITIONAL FUEL WAS REQUIRED, THUS NO SPECIAL FUEL FORM. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THE 'NO FUEL REQUIRED' STATEMENT MEANT NO FUEL AT THE STATION WAS REQUIRED, IE, A FLT FROM MSP TO MKE THEN ON TO DTW AND THE ACFT WAS FUELED IN MSP FOR BOTH LEGS. MAINT CTL'S PROB WAS THAT IN ORDER TO FILL OUT THE INOP FUEL INDICATOR FORM, THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO TAKE A STICK READING BEFORE AND AFTER FUELING. THEY HAD NOT DONE THIS SINCE THE INDICATOR HAD NOT BEEN WRITTEN UP PRIOR TO FUELING. THE ONLY OPTION LEFT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO COMPLETELY DRAIN THE TANK AND FILL WITH A KNOWN QUANTITY. THIS WOULD HAVE TAKEN HRS AND ENDED UP WITH 82000 LBS OF CONTAMINATED FUEL. THOUGH I DIDN'T AGREE WITH USING THE 'NO ADDITIONAL FUEL REQUIRED' PARAGRAPH, I WAS CONFIDENT I REALLY DID HAVE THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FUEL ON THE ACFT FOR THE FLT, SO I ELECTED TO DEPART FOR ANC.

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.