AN ACR LTT RAN 1 ENG TANK OUT OF FUEL.

Narrative

THE R ENG OF ACR LTT FLT SURGED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE TORQUE DROPPED TO '0.' AS THE TORQUE DROPPED; THE FUEL LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE R SIDE OVERHEAD PANEL AS WELL AS THE FUEL LIGHT ON THE MULTIPLE ALARM PANEL. THE BOOST FUEL PUMPS ON THE R SIDE WERE TURNED ON UNSUCCESSFULLY AND THE CAPT AND I PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW COMPANY RECOMMENDED PROCS TO SHUT DOWN THE R ENG. WE FOLLOWED THE ENG FAILURE CHKLIST; DECLARED AN EMER; NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX AND LANDED AT EWR. THE PAX WERE DEPLANED IN A NORMAL MANNER. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY FUEL INDICATOR ON THE R FUEL TANK. THE GAUGE READ 500 LBS; BUT NO FUEL REMAINED IN THE TANK. AS A RESULT; THE ENG RAN ITSELF OUT OF JET FUEL. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY MAINT CTL IN EWR THE NEXT DAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTING FO STATES THAT THIS ACFT HAS AN AUTOMATIC FUELING SYS. EITHER THE FLC OR GND FUELING CREW SETS 'BUGS' ON THE FUEL GAUGES ON A WING FUEL PANEL; THE REFUELING HOSE IS CONNECTED; AND THE REFUELING STOPS WHERE THE 'BUGS' ARE SET. THERE ARE 'DRIP STICKS' IN THE WINGS; BUT THE FLCS USE THESE ONLY WHEN A COCKPIT FUEL GAUGE IS INOP. THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHEN OR HOW OFTEN MAINT CALIBRATES THE COCKPIT AND WING FUEL GAUGES AGAINST THE DRIP STICKS. BASICALLY; IF THE FUEL GAUGE FAILS AND READS HIGH; THE NEXT REFUELING WILL END UP WITH A LOW FUEL LEVEL AND THE ENG CAN RUN OUT OF FUEL WITH FUEL INDICATED IN THE TANK. THE ACR FLT MANUAL ASSUMES THAT THERE IS A MAJOR ENG PROB IF AN ENG QUITS; SO XFEEDING IS NOT SUGGESTED. XFEEDING IS AVAILABLE. THE RPTR EXPECTS THAT THERE WILL BE A CHANGE IN THE REFUELING PROC IN HIS MANUAL 'WITHIN THE NEXT 6 MONTHS.'