MD-11
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 79; Flight Crew Total 12000; Flight Crew Type 4185
Confusion; Human-Machine Interface; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; MEL; Procedure; Aircraft
The first leg went without incident; but while we were sitting on the ground we received a level 2 message 'Fuel Quantity Fault'. This was accompanied with an amber X through the #1 fuel quantity. We informed Maintenance and they decided to defer it. This unfortunately is one of the most complex MEL's for both the flight crew and Maintenance. In addition to several steps for Maintenance to accomplish [the deferral]; they are to fuel the tank with either a known quantity or use the fuel drip sticks to determine the fuel actually in the tank. Unfortunately the MD-11 rarely transits [this base]; and the mechanics were clearly not very familiar with it. In fact; after sitting there for over 5 hours (probably 4 hours after the warning illuminated); we timed out and went to the hotel. The following day we arrived at the aircraft and it appeared all was accomplished. The [deferral] was signed off; and an entry was in the logbook that the #1 tank had been fueled to a known quantity of 23;500 LBS. With the other tanks; that brought our fuel load up to 70;000 LBS; several hundred LBS over what was required for the flight. I received the 2 fuel slips; added them up and inserted the numbers in the ACARS initialization. I immediately received a message that there was a discrepancy in the amount of fuel entered. They had added 8;451 gallons of fuel; which I multiplied by 6.5 PPG; just to get an idea of how many pounds were added and got 54;931 LBS. Adding that they started refueling with 22;000 LBS that added up to 76;931 LBS. Considering that; I went on knowing that we had plenty of fuel for the flight; and was not concerned with the extra attributing it to APU burn and the fact that they were having trouble fueling it in the first place. I hadn't considered that there might be too much fuel in the #1 tank vs. the #3 tank however. All procedures were followed; and we took off without incident. On climbout however I became aware of quite a bit of aileron trim required. In fact; once we leveled off there was over 2 degrees of aileron trim; where on our previous leg we had used less than a half a degree of right aileron trim. As I started realizing what may have happened; it started occurring to me that we could have as much as 6;900 LBS more in tank 1 than tank 3; far over the limit of 2;500 LBS. As we discussed this we decided that there wasn't enough evidence to actually transfer fuel blindly out of tank 1. We decided to continue as it was; and if there was any controllability issue at 1;000 FT on final; we would go-around and then transfer fuel. The aircraft was well under control on final; however it took closer to 3 degrees of aileron trim on final. I went ahead and put my suspicion of having much too much fuel in tank 1 in the logbook.
MD-11 was incorrectly refueled after maintenance deferral of a fuel quantity indicator. Flight crew noted fuel imbalance in flight that exceeded the aircraft limitation; but landed without incident.