Narrative:

Inoperative right main tank fuel gauge. While reviewing the MEL, the fueler came up to the cockpit and asked if I wanted to observe the fuel sticks. He showed the stick at 14 and said that was 7000 pounds and gave me a fuel slip. Back in cockpit looking at MEL, mechanic asked if we were ok with the fueling. I said 'I am looking it over.' I went out on jetbridge and showed mechanic that the placard in the MEL was not phrased the way the MEL said it needed to be phrased. Mechanic came back to cockpit and said 'it doesn't say what the MEL says, but it implies that.' I showed him that the MEL called for specific language. He said he was not going to redo the placard. I said 'we need a placard that says what the MEL calls for.' mechanic got irritated with me and said it was my delay. I then saw in the DC9 operating manual that to use fueling sticks, maintenance must check the level of the aircraft in the nose gear area. Also, the stick that should be used is the one closest to the midpoint of the stick. I wrongly figured that would be stick #3, not stick #4 that the fueler used. Later, I figured that actually stick #1 would have been the preferred one. On the ramp, the fueler was very concerned that as fuel was added, sticks #1-#3 did not change, but stick #4 was now showing 8000 pounds. We wound up with stick #4 showing 8200 pounds, stick #3 showing 6967 pounds, stick #2 6445 pounds and stick #1 6300 pounds. I figured that averages to 7000 pounds and with the fueling supervisor's vigorous faith in stick #4 I decided to go with the average rather than relying primarily on stick #2. While this was going on, maintenance was telling me they could not balance the plane without jacking it up, that all of dfw ramp was considered level for fueling. I said if they could provide me with a copy of that statement I would use it instead of the operating manual requirements. One mechanic then used very strong language over the PA, getting irritated over being delayed. I thought to myself that having fuel in the right tank was more important. It appeared that this mechanic and the one who I had redo the placard were very irritated with me. 2 other mechanics were very interested in doing whatever it took to get the procedure done to my satisfaction. Then I went back up the jetbridge where I met a fellow who said he was in charge of all the mechanics on the ramp. He asked what was wrong. I explained the 2 problems to him -- that the 4 sticks were showing a 1900 pound range and that the operating manual says that in order to use the fuel sticks that maintenance must do a check of the aircraft leveling in the nose gear area. After looking the MEL over, he said that either the operating manual or the fueling manual could be used. He said he was sure the fuelers fueled the airplane according to the fueling manual and we were good to go. A mechanic then interrupted us in the cockpit to say they had checked the leveling and we were 1/2 unit out right wing low and 2 units nose down, and each unit is 1/2 degree. I said that made us 1 degree out nose down and the book said that to use the fueling sticks we need to be 1/2 degree out at most. The maintenance supervisor then became very irate, got in my face and started hollering, saying to 'level, we need all passenger and cargo off,' that 'the plane was fueled by the fueling manual,' we were good to go. I was only responsible to the maintenance controller, he is responsible every day. I needed to go call my chief pilot because I am responsible for the delay, etc. The first officer later commented that while he was in my face hollering, I remained very calm. I commented that the more I remained calm, the more irate the mechanic supervisor became. I asked to look at the fueling manual and he said no, he did not ask to look at my manuals and he was not going to let me see the fueling manual. I said we were out of balance according to my manual for use of the sticks -- I would be glad to go if I could see the fueling manual showing otherwise. He said no, took the MEL and left. Another mechanic came up and said they had rechked the level and we were 1/2 degree out of level. I said 'you are a mechanic, you're telling me we are only 1/2 degree out of level, we are ready to go?' on takeoff, the first officer reported left wing was heavy. We climbed out with 2 units of trim. On approach, the first officer reported the left wing was still heavy and he used 3.5 units of trim. The left wing being heavy with a right gauge inoperative means the tank with the inoperative gauge had less fuel than the good gauge tank.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD AN INOP FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE AT THE DEP GATE. THE FUELER DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE MEL WHEN USING THE FUEL STICKS. A CONFRONTATION WITH MAINT OCCURRED.

Narrative: INOP R MAIN TANK FUEL GAUGE. WHILE REVIEWING THE MEL, THE FUELER CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO OBSERVE THE FUEL STICKS. HE SHOWED THE STICK AT 14 AND SAID THAT WAS 7000 LBS AND GAVE ME A FUEL SLIP. BACK IN COCKPIT LOOKING AT MEL, MECH ASKED IF WE WERE OK WITH THE FUELING. I SAID 'I AM LOOKING IT OVER.' I WENT OUT ON JETBRIDGE AND SHOWED MECH THAT THE PLACARD IN THE MEL WAS NOT PHRASED THE WAY THE MEL SAID IT NEEDED TO BE PHRASED. MECH CAME BACK TO COCKPIT AND SAID 'IT DOESN'T SAY WHAT THE MEL SAYS, BUT IT IMPLIES THAT.' I SHOWED HIM THAT THE MEL CALLED FOR SPECIFIC LANGUAGE. HE SAID HE WAS NOT GOING TO REDO THE PLACARD. I SAID 'WE NEED A PLACARD THAT SAYS WHAT THE MEL CALLS FOR.' MECH GOT IRRITATED WITH ME AND SAID IT WAS MY DELAY. I THEN SAW IN THE DC9 OPERATING MANUAL THAT TO USE FUELING STICKS, MAINT MUST CHK THE LEVEL OF THE ACFT IN THE NOSE GEAR AREA. ALSO, THE STICK THAT SHOULD BE USED IS THE ONE CLOSEST TO THE MIDPOINT OF THE STICK. I WRONGLY FIGURED THAT WOULD BE STICK #3, NOT STICK #4 THAT THE FUELER USED. LATER, I FIGURED THAT ACTUALLY STICK #1 WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PREFERRED ONE. ON THE RAMP, THE FUELER WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT AS FUEL WAS ADDED, STICKS #1-#3 DID NOT CHANGE, BUT STICK #4 WAS NOW SHOWING 8000 LBS. WE WOUND UP WITH STICK #4 SHOWING 8200 LBS, STICK #3 SHOWING 6967 LBS, STICK #2 6445 LBS AND STICK #1 6300 LBS. I FIGURED THAT AVERAGES TO 7000 LBS AND WITH THE FUELING SUPVR'S VIGOROUS FAITH IN STICK #4 I DECIDED TO GO WITH THE AVERAGE RATHER THAN RELYING PRIMARILY ON STICK #2. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON, MAINT WAS TELLING ME THEY COULD NOT BAL THE PLANE WITHOUT JACKING IT UP, THAT ALL OF DFW RAMP WAS CONSIDERED LEVEL FOR FUELING. I SAID IF THEY COULD PROVIDE ME WITH A COPY OF THAT STATEMENT I WOULD USE IT INSTEAD OF THE OPERATING MANUAL REQUIREMENTS. ONE MECH THEN USED VERY STRONG LANGUAGE OVER THE PA, GETTING IRRITATED OVER BEING DELAYED. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT HAVING FUEL IN THE R TANK WAS MORE IMPORTANT. IT APPEARED THAT THIS MECH AND THE ONE WHO I HAD REDO THE PLACARD WERE VERY IRRITATED WITH ME. 2 OTHER MECHS WERE VERY INTERESTED IN DOING WHATEVER IT TOOK TO GET THE PROC DONE TO MY SATISFACTION. THEN I WENT BACK UP THE JETBRIDGE WHERE I MET A FELLOW WHO SAID HE WAS IN CHARGE OF ALL THE MECHS ON THE RAMP. HE ASKED WHAT WAS WRONG. I EXPLAINED THE 2 PROBS TO HIM -- THAT THE 4 STICKS WERE SHOWING A 1900 LB RANGE AND THAT THE OPERATING MANUAL SAYS THAT IN ORDER TO USE THE FUEL STICKS THAT MAINT MUST DO A CHK OF THE ACFT LEVELING IN THE NOSE GEAR AREA. AFTER LOOKING THE MEL OVER, HE SAID THAT EITHER THE OPERATING MANUAL OR THE FUELING MANUAL COULD BE USED. HE SAID HE WAS SURE THE FUELERS FUELED THE AIRPLANE ACCORDING TO THE FUELING MANUAL AND WE WERE GOOD TO GO. A MECH THEN INTERRUPTED US IN THE COCKPIT TO SAY THEY HAD CHKED THE LEVELING AND WE WERE 1/2 UNIT OUT R WING LOW AND 2 UNITS NOSE DOWN, AND EACH UNIT IS 1/2 DEG. I SAID THAT MADE US 1 DEG OUT NOSE DOWN AND THE BOOK SAID THAT TO USE THE FUELING STICKS WE NEED TO BE 1/2 DEG OUT AT MOST. THE MAINT SUPVR THEN BECAME VERY IRATE, GOT IN MY FACE AND STARTED HOLLERING, SAYING TO 'LEVEL, WE NEED ALL PAX AND CARGO OFF,' THAT 'THE PLANE WAS FUELED BY THE FUELING MANUAL,' WE WERE GOOD TO GO. I WAS ONLY RESPONSIBLE TO THE MAINT CTLR, HE IS RESPONSIBLE EVERY DAY. I NEEDED TO GO CALL MY CHIEF PLT BECAUSE I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DELAY, ETC. THE FO LATER COMMENTED THAT WHILE HE WAS IN MY FACE HOLLERING, I REMAINED VERY CALM. I COMMENTED THAT THE MORE I REMAINED CALM, THE MORE IRATE THE MECH SUPVR BECAME. I ASKED TO LOOK AT THE FUELING MANUAL AND HE SAID NO, HE DID NOT ASK TO LOOK AT MY MANUALS AND HE WAS NOT GOING TO LET ME SEE THE FUELING MANUAL. I SAID WE WERE OUT OF BAL ACCORDING TO MY MANUAL FOR USE OF THE STICKS -- I WOULD BE GLAD TO GO IF I COULD SEE THE FUELING MANUAL SHOWING OTHERWISE. HE SAID NO, TOOK THE MEL AND LEFT. ANOTHER MECH CAME UP AND SAID THEY HAD RECHKED THE LEVEL AND WE WERE 1/2 DEG OUT OF LEVEL. I SAID 'YOU ARE A MECH, YOU'RE TELLING ME WE ARE ONLY 1/2 DEG OUT OF LEVEL, WE ARE READY TO GO?' ON TKOF, THE FO RPTED L WING WAS HVY. WE CLBED OUT WITH 2 UNITS OF TRIM. ON APCH, THE FO RPTED THE L WING WAS STILL HVY AND HE USED 3.5 UNITS OF TRIM. THE L WING BEING HVY WITH A R GAUGE INOP MEANS THE TANK WITH THE INOP GAUGE HAD LESS FUEL THAN THE GOOD GAUGE TANK.

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.