Date: 201403
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Flight phase: Climb
Aircraft component: Fuel Quantity-Pressure Indication
Component problem: Failed; Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Diverted; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action; General Release Refused / Aircraft Not Accepted
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: During the climbout the Tank 2 fuel indication went to zero and turned red. [We] looked in QRH to find if there was anything in there about the situation. We contacted Dispatch and Maintenance to notify them of the problem and a possible diversion. Then Tank 1 indication went to zero and turned red. We also lost the total fuel and fuel used. At that point we declared an emergency since we had no idea how much fuel we had on board and if we had a fuel leak or not. The safest course of action was to get the airplane on the ground. We diverted to ZZZ. On the approach to ZZZ the weather went down drastically. During the approach we got sink rate and windshear alerts and executed a go-around. Somewhere around that time the fuel indications returned. We then decided to divert to ZZZ1 where the weather was better than ZZZ. We landed and taxied to the gate. I was in touch with Maintenance Control who said the plane was OK to fly and we should be fine. We called Contract Maintenance and they refused to sign off the plane. I felt extreme pressure from Maintenance Control to fly an unsafe airplane with passengers to [our destination]. A Maintenance Supervisor continued to try to get me to take the flight. Contract Maintenance still refused to sign off the logbook. Finally; Maintenance Control flew in mechanics who determined the Fuel Control Unit had failed and the jet was unsafe to fly. Maintenance Control still continued to put pressure on the company mechanics to sign off the logbook. They suggested the mechanics somehow try a bunch of resets; and MEL the Digital Flight Data Recorder; so the FAA wouldn't know what was going on and fly the airplane back to [our destination]. At this point the mechanics said they would not sign off the airplane without a new FCU unit. At this point I went back to the hotel.The fuel tank indications were a very big threat. Maintenance Control was a huge threat in this situation. I cannot even believe they did not care about the safety of the passengers or the crew or even their own mechanics. The pressure that Maintenance Control put on myself and the mechanics was unreal. There was a total disregard for safety.There is nothing you can do if something breaks. The company should not try to force flight crews and mechanics to cut corners and fly planes that are not safe. They shouldn't try to cover things up from the FAA just to save money because they do not want to fix planes or have spare parts on hand.




Synopsis: After diverting due to both main tank quantity indications failing the flight crew of an ERJ was distressed when Maintenance Control attempted to coerce the flight crew and both contract and company technicians to sign off and fly the airplane and passengers to their destination.