B190 CREW HAD A MAIN FUEL TANK CAP COME OFF THE ACFT INFLT.

Narrative

ON MAY/FRI/03; MY FO NOTICED A FUEL IMBAL ON HIS PREFLT. THE INDICATORS DID NOT MATCH. HE TOLD ME OF THE PROB AND I ASKED HIM TO HAVE THE FUELER FILL THE SHORTED SIDE (L MAIN). THE FUELER TRIED TO FILL THE L SIDE AND IT WAS FULL. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR WAS INOP. I WROTE UP THE L FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR AND PLACARDED THE INDICATOR. MY FO PAID ATTN TO THE FUELER SECURING THE FUEL CAP ON THE L MAIN. PART OF OUR BEFORE START CHKLIST IS TO ENSURE PROPS ARE CLR AND FUEL CAPS ARE SECURE. WE ACCOMPLISHED THAT SUCCESSFULLY. WE LANDED AT OUR DEST AND MY FO FOUND THAT THE L MAIN FUEL CAP WAS MISSING ON HIS POSTFLT. WE CALLED MAINT CTL AND ARRANGED A MECH TO TAKE THE L AUX TANK CAP AND PUT IT ON THE L MAIN TANK AND SPD TAPE THE L AUX TANK (WHICH WAS EMPTY). THEN WE FERRIED THE ACFT BACK TO THE ORIGINATING ARPT TO GET A NEW CAP FROM LINE MAINT. I FELT MY FO AND I WERE PRUDENT ABOUT THE WAY WE HANDLED THE FUEL INDICATOR; AS WELL AS WE WERE PRUDENT TO ENSURE THE CAP WAS SECURE. THIS SIT ILLUSTRATES NO MATTER THE LEVEL OF PRUDENCE THERE IS STILL ROOM FOR ERROR OR FAILURE. THOROUGH POSTFLTS ARE JUST AS ESSENTIAL AS TO A THOROUGH PREFLT. THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR SOMETHING TO GO WRONG.