ACR LGT DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE BECAUSE THEY DEPARTED LAX WITH INCORRECT FUEL LOAD. THE #2 FUEL GAUGE WAS INOP.

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THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS TO GIVE INFO DESCRIBING THE EVENTS AS THEY OCCURRED IN 1/88 FOR FLT LEAVING LA TO PITTSBURGH; PA. THE FLT STARTED OUT NORMALLY BUT FOR ONE EXCEPTION; THE CENTER TANK 2 FUEL GAUGE WAS INOP. THIS WAS OK'D BY THE MEL; HOWEVER; WE WERE REQUIRED TO KEEP A FUEL LOG TO KEEP TRACK OF THE FUEL BURN UNTIL TANK 2 EQUALLED TANKS 1 AND 3. IN ADDITION A KNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL WAS TO BE PUMPED INTO TANK 2. THE FUELER BROUGHT OUR FUEL SLIP ON BOARD AFTER FUELING US. THE FUEL SLIP INDICATED 11900# OF FUEL IN TANK 1; 22200# IN TANK 2; 11900# IN TANK 3 AND 4000# IN THE AUX TANK FOR A TOTAL OF 50000 LBS. I VERIFIED THIS WITH OUR FUEL GAUGES ON BOARD; 11900# TANK #1; 11830# TANK #3; 4080# IN AUX TANK AND '22200 THE KNOWN QUANTITY' IN TANK #2 FOR A TOTAL OF 50010 LBS. WE THEREFORE ASSUMED THAT WE HAD OUR REQUIRED FUEL. SHORTLY AFTER THE FUELER LEFT; A MECHANIC CAME ON BOARD TO LOOK AT THE FUEL SLIP AND QUESTIONED IF WE WERE FUELED PROPERLY. I SHOWED HIM THE SLIP AND TOLD HIM WE HAD 22200#. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT HE WOULD GO CHK THE FUEL AND I VERIFIED THIS BY ASKING HIM TO DO SO. BEFORE OUR PUSHBACK; I REMINDED THE CAPT TO ASK THE PUSHBACK CREW ABOUT THE MECHANIC WHO WAS CHKING THE FUEL; THEY SAID ALL WAS OK. SO; WE THEREFORE COMMENCED OUR PUSH AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC FROM GND CTL. (WE WERE CONVINCED THAT WE HAD 50000 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD.) AFTER A SHORT TAXI TO 24L WE TOOK OFF WITH; ACCORDING TO THE FUEL LOG; 49500# OF FUEL WHICH WOULD GET US TO PIT WITH 12900# LEFT. AFTER AN HR OF FLT I NOTICED 3 BOOST PUMP LIGHTS ON IN TANK 2 INDICATING A POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION. AFTER A FEW CHKS THAT WE MADE WE CALLED TO TALK TO OUR TECH CENTER TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP US SOLVE THE PROB. AFTER SEVERAL MORE CHKS THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE FUEL TANK MAY BE LOW ON FUEL. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO DEN TO GET THE PROB SOLVED (WE STILL WEREN'T FULLY CONVINCED THAT IT WAS A FUEL PROB). WE ARRIVED IN DEN. AFTER CLOSER INSPECTION ON THE GND WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT WE WERE MISFUELED IN LAX. IT IS APPARENT NOW THAT THE FUELER FAILED TO CONVERT PROPERLY GALLONS TO LBS AND THIS; COUPLED WITH AN INOP FUEL GAUGE (A BAD SCENARIO); CAUSED US TO BE MISFUELED.