Narrative:

After departing ZZZZ en route to ZZZ; we requested our oceanic clearance via ACARS. While waiting for our response; we got a level 2 -- fuel quantity/used check alert. I instructed the first officer to continue flying and talking while the relief pilot and I ran the emergency procedure red tabs. We ran the checklist. The checklist is meant to determine if there is a fuel leak or a fuel quantity indicating issue. It also calls for a turn-back in case of an actual fuel leak. The checklist leaves the fuel system in manual with no guidance on how to handle tail fuel; which we had. The checklist is confusing and I questioned what happens to our tail fuel. Since I had concerns about the tail fuel; the relief pilot and I read through the checklist again to determine if we had overlooked anything. We finished reviewing the checklist for the second time and monitored the fuel usage to determine if there was a fuel leak. The relief pilot and I both agreed that there was no fuel leak nor was there an indicating problem. I was still concerned about tail fuel and tail fuel management (automatic distribution of fuel for optimum center of gravity and fuel burn). Considering our re-release flight plan and a delayed takeoff from ZZZZ; I decided to return the fuel system to automatic; to reset the fuel system controller allowing the automatic mode to function normally and provide for tfm. The fuel system appeared to work normally in the automatic mode. We then received an ACARS message that required us to contact oceanic clearance control via voice for our oceanic clearance. Retrieving the correct frequency; I then contacted oceanic control ensuring that the first officer and relief pilot were both monitoring radio #2 on XXX.xx (the first officer was also monitoring radio #1). While we were waiting for our clearance; we got the same level 2 -- fuel quantity/used check alert. The relief pilot and I began running the checklist again and 1/2 way through the checklist oceanic control came back with our clearance. We stopped our fuel quantity/used check checklist and finished copying and reading back our oceanic clearance. The oceanic clearance called for an altitude and time constraint at zzzzz intersection. After reading back the clearance and verifying the crossing points in the mcdu (FMS); the relief pilot and I continued with the fuel quantity/used check checklist while the first officer correctly loaded the mcdu with the time (XA43+) and altitude (FL320) constraints at zzzzz intersection. We are level at FL300 at this time. Trying to stay 'in the loop;' the relief pilot looked up and questioned the first officer if we should put FL320 in the fcp. The first officer and I agreed to put FL320 in the fcp. My thinking was that since the altitudes and time constraints were large fonted (hard tuned); putting FL320 in the fcp would preselect the altitude and serve as a reminder for a later climb. Shortly after selecting FL320; the aircraft began a climb; I verbalized that we're climbing as the aircraft leaves FL300. Getting distraction with the red tabs; I never switched back to radio #1 and didn't hear the conversation that the first officer immediately began having with domestic control. The first officer conversed with domestic control and told us; after the fact; of what was said between them. He said that as the aircraft started climbing and was passing FL303; he told domestic that we were out of FL300 for FL320. Domestic control stated that we weren't cleared to FL320 and the first officer quickly responded that we'll descend back to FL300; at which time domestic control cleared us to FL320 and said that we needed to make sure that the next time we had clearance (from him) to climb and that there was no problem (at this time). We complied with the climb clearance and leveled off at FL320.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 LEVEL 2 - FUEL QTY/USED CHK ALERT ANNUNCIATED. WHILE HANDLING THIS ABNORMALITY; THE CREW BECAME TASK SATURATED AND BEGAN A CLB TOO EARLY.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING ZZZZ ENRTE TO ZZZ; WE REQUESTED OUR OCEANIC CLRNC VIA ACARS. WHILE WAITING FOR OUR RESPONSE; WE GOT A LEVEL 2 -- FUEL QUANTITY/USED CHK ALERT. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO CONTINUE FLYING AND TALKING WHILE THE RELIEF PLT AND I RAN THE EMER PROC RED TABS. WE RAN THE CHKLIST. THE CHKLIST IS MEANT TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS A FUEL LEAK OR A FUEL QUANTITY INDICATING ISSUE. IT ALSO CALLS FOR A TURN-BACK IN CASE OF AN ACTUAL FUEL LEAK. THE CHKLIST LEAVES THE FUEL SYS IN MANUAL WITH NO GUIDANCE ON HOW TO HANDLE TAIL FUEL; WHICH WE HAD. THE CHKLIST IS CONFUSING AND I QUESTIONED WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR TAIL FUEL. SINCE I HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THE TAIL FUEL; THE RELIEF PLT AND I READ THROUGH THE CHKLIST AGAIN TO DETERMINE IF WE HAD OVERLOOKED ANYTHING. WE FINISHED REVIEWING THE CHKLIST FOR THE SECOND TIME AND MONITORED THE FUEL USAGE TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK. THE RELIEF PLT AND I BOTH AGREED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL LEAK NOR WAS THERE AN INDICATING PROB. I WAS STILL CONCERNED ABOUT TAIL FUEL AND TAIL FUEL MGMNT (AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTION OF FUEL FOR OPTIMUM CTR OF GRAVITY AND FUEL BURN). CONSIDERING OUR RE-RELEASE FLT PLAN AND A DELAYED TKOF FROM ZZZZ; I DECIDED TO RETURN THE FUEL SYS TO AUTO; TO RESET THE FUEL SYS CONTROLLER ALLOWING THE AUTO MODE TO FUNCTION NORMALLY AND PROVIDE FOR TFM. THE FUEL SYS APPEARED TO WORK NORMALLY IN THE AUTO MODE. WE THEN RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE THAT REQUIRED US TO CONTACT OCEANIC CLRNC CTL VIA VOICE FOR OUR OCEANIC CLRNC. RETRIEVING THE CORRECT FREQ; I THEN CONTACTED OCEANIC CTL ENSURING THAT THE FO AND RELIEF PLT WERE BOTH MONITORING RADIO #2 ON XXX.XX (THE FO WAS ALSO MONITORING RADIO #1). WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR OUR CLRNC; WE GOT THE SAME LEVEL 2 -- FUEL QUANTITY/USED CHK ALERT. THE RELIEF PLT AND I BEGAN RUNNING THE CHKLIST AGAIN AND 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE CHKLIST OCEANIC CTL CAME BACK WITH OUR CLRNC. WE STOPPED OUR FUEL QUANTITY/USED CHK CHKLIST AND FINISHED COPYING AND READING BACK OUR OCEANIC CLRNC. THE OCEANIC CLRNC CALLED FOR AN ALT AND TIME CONSTRAINT AT ZZZZZ INTXN. AFTER READING BACK THE CLRNC AND VERIFYING THE XING POINTS IN THE MCDU (FMS); THE RELIEF PLT AND I CONTINUED WITH THE FUEL QUANTITY/USED CHK CHKLIST WHILE THE FO CORRECTLY LOADED THE MCDU WITH THE TIME (XA43+) AND ALT (FL320) CONSTRAINTS AT ZZZZZ INTXN. WE ARE LEVEL AT FL300 AT THIS TIME. TRYING TO STAY 'IN THE LOOP;' THE RELIEF PLT LOOKED UP AND QUESTIONED THE FO IF WE SHOULD PUT FL320 IN THE FCP. THE FO AND I AGREED TO PUT FL320 IN THE FCP. MY THINKING WAS THAT SINCE THE ALTS AND TIME CONSTRAINTS WERE LARGE FONTED (HARD TUNED); PUTTING FL320 IN THE FCP WOULD PRESELECT THE ALT AND SERVE AS A REMINDER FOR A LATER CLB. SHORTLY AFTER SELECTING FL320; THE ACFT BEGAN A CLB; I VERBALIZED THAT WE'RE CLBING AS THE ACFT LEAVES FL300. GETTING DISTR WITH THE RED TABS; I NEVER SWITCHED BACK TO RADIO #1 AND DIDN'T HEAR THE CONVERSATION THAT THE FO IMMEDIATELY BEGAN HAVING WITH DOMESTIC CTL. THE FO CONVERSED WITH DOMESTIC CTL AND TOLD US; AFTER THE FACT; OF WHAT WAS SAID BTWN THEM. HE SAID THAT AS THE ACFT STARTED CLBING AND WAS PASSING FL303; HE TOLD DOMESTIC THAT WE WERE OUT OF FL300 FOR FL320. DOMESTIC CTL STATED THAT WE WEREN'T CLRED TO FL320 AND THE FO QUICKLY RESPONDED THAT WE'LL DSND BACK TO FL300; AT WHICH TIME DOMESTIC CTL CLRED US TO FL320 AND SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT TIME WE HAD CLRNC (FROM HIM) TO CLB AND THAT THERE WAS NO PROB (AT THIS TIME). WE COMPLIED WITH THE CLB CLRNC AND LEVELED OFF AT FL320.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.