B757 REPORTS CONFUSION OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHECKING FUEL ON BOARD WITH INOPERATIVE FUEL GAUGE.
Synopsis
B757 REPORTS CONFUSION OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHECKING FUEL ON BOARD WITH INOPERATIVE FUEL GAUGE.
Narrative
FUELING MEL ISSUE. ACFT HAD MEL: MAIN FUEL TANK INDICATOR INOP. THE MEL MAINT PROC READS 'ASSOCIATED MAIN TANK FUEL QUANTITY IS DETERMINED USING PROCS OUTLINED IN ACR FUEL MANUAL.' I CONTACTED MAINT AND A MECH CAME TO THE FLT DECK. I ASKED HIM FOR A CLARIFICATION OF THESE PROCS SO I COULD ENSURE; AS THE CAPT; THAT THE PROPER FUEL WAS ON BOARD. HE SAID MAINT HAD NO DUTIES IN REGARD TO THIS MEL. HE CONTACTED THE LEAD MECH AND RECEIVED THE SAME INFO. I CALLED MY DISPATCHER AND WAS PATCHED INTO MAINT CTL. MAINT CTL SAID HE WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH INOP FUEL GAUGE PROCS AND THIS WAS HANDLED BY LCL FUELERS. THE COMPLETED NORMAL FUEL SLIP WAS DELIVERED TO THE FLT DECK. THERE WAS NO NOTATION OF MEL PROCS BEING FOLLOWED. THE MEL NEEDS TO BE UPDATED TO DESCRIBE EXACTLY WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FUEL GAUGE INOP PROCS AND EXACTLY WHAT FORMS NEED TO BE PROVIDED TO THE FLT CREW TO ENSURE THAT THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FUEL IS ON BOARD THE ACFT PRIOR TO FLT. IT IS OF NOTE THAT THE NON-COMPLIANCE WITH MEL FUEL GAUGE INOP PROCS WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL THE FINAL SAFETY BARRIER; THE FLT CREW. I THEN CALLED THE FUELING SUPVR TO THE FLT DECK. HE STATED THAT THE FUELER HAD MISSED THE MEL NOTATION ON THE FUEL SLIP AND THAT HE WOULD COMPLETE THE MEL REQUIREMENTS. HE COMPLETED THE MAGNA STICK/DRIP STICK FORM AND DELIVERED IT TO THE FLT DECK. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A MAINT PROC SECTION IN THE MEL; I RECEIVED NO SUPPORT IN DETERMINING IF MY FLT HAD THE CORRECT FUEL LOAD FROM MAINT OR MAINT CTL. ACR SHOULD REVIEW THE FUEL GAUGE INOP PROCS TO ENSURE THERE ARE SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF BARRIERS IN PLACE TO ENSURE THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL REQUIRED IS ON THE ACFT. IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS ON THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD; THE FLT CREW MUST BE ABLE TO RELY ON MAINT FOR SUPPORT.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.