The fuel quantity is determined at which attitude?

• A. Nose level attitude
• B. 4 degree nose up
• C. 4 degree nose down
• D. Level flight

Answer: (A)

The gauge reading for how much fuel is in the tanks is tied to a specific aircraft attitude. For the MH-65E, the fuel quantity is determined with the helicopter in a nose-level attitude because that orientation matches the calibration condition of the fuel sensing system. When the nose is level, gravity holds the fuel surface in a position that the tank probes and floats are designed to read accurately. If the helicopter pitches up or down, the fuel shifts within the tanks, which can bias the reading and make the indicated quantity inaccurate. A 4-degree nose-up or nose-down attitude would tilt the fuel surface and skew the measurement, while simply being in level flight (which is close to nose level) is not the exact calibration condition the system uses. So, the most accurate reading is obtained in nose-level attitude.