Date: 202112
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Airspace: Class B ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Aircraft component: Fuel Quantity-Pressure Indication
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Troubleshooting; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Ground Event / Encounter Fuel Issue; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Aircraft In Service At Gate
Result: General Release Refused / Aircraft Not Accepted
Contributing factors: Human Factors; MEL; Procedure; Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: ZZZ aircraft (Fuel system) refusalREFUSED Aircraft X; DATEZZZ out XE10Z/XA10L off XE24Z/XA24LZZZ1 on XI33Z/XC33L in XI39Z/XC39LDue to aircraft discrepancies:Log Page XP deferred DATE1 MEL 28-XX-X1000 lbs fuel imbalance 5 mins after take off left wing tank.Flight deck fuel quantity indicator inoperative. Refueling control panel quantity indicator and fuel quantity totalizer are considered inoperative. Flight planning restrictions:A. Etops not authorized.E. Fuel quantity in main tank with inoperative indicator may be estimated using one of the following:1. Fuel used. Function of the fuel flow indicators.2. Monitor of fuel flow;3. Fuel quantity in opposite main tank.F. Fuel remaining must be updated in FMC PERFT INIT.Page 1 as follows:1. Every 30 minutes or less.2. Prior to take off.3. At top of climb.4. At top of descent.G. Refer to and fuel:This is to ensure proper PFD speed tape indications and VNAV capability.If current fuel on board is not updated into the FMC at 30 minute intervals or less; the automatic flight VNAV mode will not be available and the PFD speed tapes will not display information that uses the FMC gross weight.The fuel low alert and fuel imbal alert may not be displayed when appropriate.Log Page YM DEFERRED DATE1 MEL 28-XY-YDEFECT: NEED TO DEFER UNDER FUEL INDICATOR PER MEL CARD #XXXXXACTION: DATE1 DEF - REFUELING CONTROL PANEL QUANTITY INDICATOR(NO.1 OR NO.2) HAS BEEN DEFERRED IN COMPLIANCE WITH MELCARD XXXXX.We are supposed to have; and fly by; standards and safety-based parameters. This whole situation pre-supposes we do away with many of these standards!1. Irrespective of accuracy of on-deck pre-flight fuel quantity checks or in-flight tracking; 1000# fuel imbalance (out of limits) would be un-knowable once in flight; given the above system mels; especially over long distances.2. Fuel could be fed into center tank...you would have no way of knowing.3. 'ETOPS not authorized' is written in the MEL for a reason! If it is important for ETOPS flights; it is important for ME; especially for long-range flights!4. Inop gauges and sensors; and thus totalizer; affects many other systems. Manually entering 'guesses' over time is fraught with 'Safety Chain' issues.5. Per the above; airspeed may be inaccurate; 'fuel low' warning and VNAV may INOP!6. Per the above; could lead to FMC issues; including inaccurate landing data or configuration and possible stall situations; or inability to fly certain approaches.Furthermore:1. The aircraft was flown around the system for TWO DAYS and FROM a hub/ maintenance station; to overnight AT a maintenance station--THEN was going to be flown (by us) TO and then THROUGH a hub/ maintenance station; to another station before (supposedly) being fixed! This is unsatisfactory and unsafe and MUST be fixed!2. Both Maintenance and Dispatch said that many of our planes are being flown around the system thus! This is unsatisfactory and unsafe and MUST be fixed!Lastly:1. Captain's refusal / Unable To Operate (generating this report) is SUPPOSED TO BE (REQUIRED TO BE?) Noted on the following maintenance release. Though I may have missed it; I do NOT think this was done (nor did the Chief Pilot see it.) I have heard rumors of this...the conspiracy theory being that this prevents following Captains from being aware of; and possibly agreeing with/ following; previous Captain's decision-making processes--thereby slyly preventing aircraft refusal...and putting them in an untenable situation if something goes wrong on their flight! This is unsatisfactory and unsafe and MUST be fixed!




Synopsis: Captain reported refusing an aircraft caused by non-compliance with MEL and Operating Procedures.