Fueler thought fuel in auxiliary tanks which have been wired off.

Attributes
ACN	196379
Time
Date	199112
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time total : 16000
ASRS Report	196379
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1200
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Just prior to pushback, awaiting fuel slip, fueler reported he had discovered 1600 pounds in forward auxiliary, a tank not in use. We called maintenance to ascertain whether that was indeed the case and dispatch to determine whether we could go with that fuel confign. The fuel slip confirmed the amount of fuel loaded was in the tanks we would use ie, the wings and the center wing not in the forward auxiliary tank. Dispatch said if we counted the fuel in the forward auxiliary tank was unusable, added it to our zero fuel weight and trimmed appropriately we could go. After a normal flight maintenance determined that the tanks were capped off and no fuel was in either auxiliary tank the fueler had erroneously thought that there was fuel in the auxiliary tank. Only later did we find that we were not to use the auxiliary tanks nor carry fuel in the auxiliary tanks as ballast. Supplemental information from acn 196375. Upon arrival in denver, we found that is impossible to have fuel in the auxiliary tanks because the refueling ports are wired shut. The tech order had been complied with but no record was available to the air crew of this being done. Maintenance in bos didn't even know that this was accomplished when they came out to try to figure how to defuel the auxiliary tanks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUELER THOUGHT FUEL IN AUX TANKS WHICH HAVE BEEN WIRED OFF.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK, AWAITING FUEL SLIP, FUELER RPTED HE HAD DISCOVERED 1600 POUNDS IN FORWARD AUX, A TANK NOT IN USE. WE CALLED MAINT TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THAT WAS INDEED THE CASE AND DISPATCH TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE COULD GO WITH THAT FUEL CONFIGN. THE FUEL SLIP CONFIRMED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL LOADED WAS IN THE TANKS WE WOULD USE IE, THE WINGS AND THE CENTER WING NOT IN THE FORWARD AUX TANK. DISPATCH SAID IF WE COUNTED THE FUEL IN THE FORWARD AUX TANK WAS UNUSABLE, ADDED IT TO OUR ZERO FUEL WT AND TRIMMED APPROPRIATELY WE COULD GO. AFTER A NORMAL FLT MAINT DETERMINED THAT THE TANKS WERE CAPPED OFF AND NO FUEL WAS IN EITHER AUX TANK THE FUELER HAD ERRONEOUSLY THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS FUEL IN THE AUX TANK. ONLY LATER DID WE FIND THAT WE WERE NOT TO USE THE AUX TANKS NOR CARRY FUEL IN THE AUX TANKS AS BALLAST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 196375. UPON ARR IN DENVER, WE FOUND THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE FUEL IN THE AUX TANKS BECAUSE THE REFUELING PORTS ARE WIRED SHUT. THE TECH ORDER HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH BUT NO RECORD WAS AVAILABLE TO THE AIR CREW OF THIS BEING DONE. MAINT IN BOS DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WHEN THEY CAME OUT TO TRY TO FIGURE HOW TO DEFUEL THE AUX TANKS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.