Today 7 August:

UA 2331 TPA-IAD is good.

UA 2437 IAD-CLE is same plane, same pilots, same gate. Delayed due to (either) exit row light or 1st class lav light not working, details fuzzy even to pilots.

We switch to different plane 3 gates down, same pilots. We are about 45 mins/an hour delayed, no biggie. So about 1:30PM depart.

As all boarded and door shut pilot informs us we only have one fuel tank working but such a "short hop" to CLE "we will be fine with only one tank".

Weather sets in @ CLE, we can't land, we can't circle to wait it out (with only one fuel tank) so we return to IAD. By this time it's 2:40PM that we land back at IAD.

We are delayed waiting on maintenance with no one really informing us of anything, flight is finally canceled about 4:30.

IAD going into weather meltdown so a very helpful CSA @ UC books me for tomorrow. So here I am at a hotel in Virginia. Bag couldn't be offloaded I checked with the United office down in baggage area. App shows bag still here @ IAD.

The app states all the delays and final cancellation was due to maintenance not weather.

Any recourse/compensation ?

Should a plane really have flown with only one fuel tank functionioning ? 🤔

Many thanks.