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A B757-200's left fuel gauge blanked after takeoff and became operable prior to landing. Crew suspects possible ped interference.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 681689 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200512 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : san.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sct.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 681689 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event : passenger electronic device other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel qty gauge |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Passenger Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Passenger Human Performance |
Narrative:
Shortly after takeoff; the left fuel gauge blanked followed shortly after by the total fuel gauge. While in climb; the gauge came back for a few seconds then blanked again. The left fuel gauge remained that way until the landing PA was given; then shortly after that the left fuel gauge functioned normal. Suspect possible interference from passenger electronic device. Unfortunately there was no time before arrival to see if this was the case. Suggest that flight crews be made aware that this is a possibility in the event see a blanking of the left fuel gauge.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that gauge operation/inoperative was like an on/off switch at approximately 10000 ft coinciding with the flight attendant cabin ped announcement. Reporter can not check his air carrier's aircraft maintenance records to determine if a mechanical failure was discovered during post flight maintenance. The reporter did state that the failure's potential cause did not dawn on him until just prior to landing and therefore reporter could not troubleshoot possible device interference. The reporter indicated that they have heard of this event occurring on other B757 aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B757-200'S L FUEL GAUGE BLANKED AFTER TKOF AND BECAME OPERABLE PRIOR TO LNDG. CREW SUSPECTS POSSIBLE PED INTERFERENCE.
Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF; THE L FUEL GAUGE BLANKED FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER BY THE TOTAL FUEL GAUGE. WHILE IN CLB; THE GAUGE CAME BACK FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN BLANKED AGAIN. THE L FUEL GAUGE REMAINED THAT WAY UNTIL THE LNDG PA WAS GIVEN; THEN SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE L FUEL GAUGE FUNCTIONED NORMAL. SUSPECT POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE FROM PAX ELECTRONIC DEVICE. UNFORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO TIME BEFORE ARR TO SEE IF THIS WAS THE CASE. SUGGEST THAT FLT CREWS BE MADE AWARE THAT THIS IS A POSSIBILITY IN THE EVENT SEE A BLANKING OF THE L FUEL GAUGE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT GAUGE OPERATION/INOP WAS LIKE AN ON/OFF SWITCH AT APPROX 10000 FT COINCIDING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT CABIN PED ANNOUNCEMENT. RPTR CAN NOT CHK HIS ACR'S ACFT MAINT RECORDS TO DETERMINE IF A MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED DURING POST FLT MAINT. THE RPTR DID STATE THAT THE FAILURE'S POTENTIAL CAUSE DID NOT DAWN ON HIM UNTIL JUST PRIOR TO LNDG AND THEREFORE RPTR COULD NOT TROUBLESHOOT POSSIBLE DEVICE INTERFERENCE. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE HEARD OF THIS EVENT OCCURRING ON OTHER B757 ACFT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.