Part 3/9:
While the outgoing crew indicated the aircraft was in perfect order, their assessment failed to account for a critical flaw: the fuel gauges were blank due to troubleshooting that left one channel out of operation. Although Pearson expected gauge issues based on his conversation with the previous flight crew, both the Captain and First Officer overlooked vital information in the aircraft's tech log, leading to a false sense of security about the plane's fuel status.