A B737-700 crew and dispatcher were confused about the proper preflight weight and balance fuel docu...

Attributes
ACN	1111266
Time
Date	201308
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Parked
Component
Aircraft Component	Fuel Booster Pump
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying First Officer
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 185
Person 2
Function	Captain
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 120 Flight Crew Type 7000
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Procedural MEL Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue

Narrative:

We were preflighting the flight and there was a MEL for one of the center fuel tank pumps being out of service. After reading the MEL; there was a bit of confusion in regards to documentation on the load sheet. While there was no safety of flight issue; we were unsure if the center tank fuel had to be incorporated into the zero fuel weight; 3;000 pounds of it for the actual flight. It was documented on the fuel sheet but not reflected in the zero fuel weight. We pushed on time even though we were still somewhat unsure and; only after we were flying; did we fully realize it should have been documented in the adjustments section of the load sheet and added to the load sheet. In the air; we were able to use the fuel out of the center tank using one fuel pump and the flight went without a problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 crew and Dispatcher were confused about the proper preflight weight and balance fuel documentation procedure in accordance with the MEL when a single Center Tank fuel pump is inoperative.

Narrative: We were preflighting the flight and there was a MEL for one of the center fuel tank pumps being out of service. After reading the MEL; there was a bit of confusion in regards to documentation on the load sheet. While there was no safety of flight issue; we were unsure if the center tank fuel had to be incorporated into the zero fuel weight; 3;000 pounds of it for the actual flight. It was documented on the fuel sheet but not reflected in the zero fuel weight. We pushed on time even though we were still somewhat unsure and; only after we were flying; did we fully realize it should have been documented in the adjustments section of the load sheet and added to the load sheet. In the air; we were able to use the fuel out of the center tank using one fuel pump and the flight went without a problem.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A B737-700 crew and dispatcher were confused about the proper preflight weight and balance fuel documentation procedure in accordance with the MEL when a single center tank fuel pump is inoperative.