Narrative:

After 2 month of observation, over 80 percent of my final load closeouts used proposed fuel weight and not the actual fuel weight. On every flight, the actual fuel weight was sent 15-20 mins prior to departure. At times, there has been a 2000 pounds fuel discrepancy which is therefore unaccounted for by dispatch. Is dispatch sending an early load closeout by using proposed fuel versus actual fuel? Is this becoming a common practice to clear flts early? I would like to know if this is a new practice and relevant to all fleet types. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies for a major united states air carrier that uses ACARS for most of its flight time and flight crew dispatch message functions. Part of the preflight procedure is to compare the 'actual' fuel on board with the 'proposed' fuel on board and then enter the 'actual' fuel on board into the ACARS. This information is not sent to the central load office until the aircraft pushes away from the gate in the 'out' event. The load center then sends the aircraft a message listing all weights and the final load closeout. As crews are not allowed to leave the gate with less than the 'proposed' fuel without a call to dispatch, excess fuel is of no concern unless the aircraft is near maximum gross takeoff weight, maximum ramp weight, or maximum zero fuel weight. The aircraft has instituted a procedure, in response to this reporter's concern, that required the flcs to notify load control when any of the above mentioned maximum weights are encountered. A change in the ACARS software is proposed that will send the actual fuel load to load control before the 'out' event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WT MANIFEST PROB REGARDING THE ACTUAL FUEL ON BOARD.

Narrative: AFTER 2 MONTH OF OBSERVATION, OVER 80 PERCENT OF MY FINAL LOAD CLOSEOUTS USED PROPOSED FUEL WT AND NOT THE ACTUAL FUEL WT. ON EVERY FLT, THE ACTUAL FUEL WT WAS SENT 15-20 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. AT TIMES, THERE HAS BEEN A 2000 LBS FUEL DISCREPANCY WHICH IS THEREFORE UNACCOUNTED FOR BY DISPATCH. IS DISPATCH SENDING AN EARLY LOAD CLOSEOUT BY USING PROPOSED FUEL VERSUS ACTUAL FUEL? IS THIS BECOMING A COMMON PRACTICE TO CLR FLTS EARLY? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS A NEW PRACTICE AND RELEVANT TO ALL FLEET TYPES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR THAT USES ACARS FOR MOST OF ITS FLT TIME AND FLC DISPATCH MESSAGE FUNCTIONS. PART OF THE PREFLT PROC IS TO COMPARE THE 'ACTUAL' FUEL ON BOARD WITH THE 'PROPOSED' FUEL ON BOARD AND THEN ENTER THE 'ACTUAL' FUEL ON BOARD INTO THE ACARS. THIS INFO IS NOT SENT TO THE CENTRAL LOAD OFFICE UNTIL THE ACFT PUSHES AWAY FROM THE GATE IN THE 'OUT' EVENT. THE LOAD CTR THEN SENDS THE ACFT A MESSAGE LISTING ALL WTS AND THE FINAL LOAD CLOSEOUT. AS CREWS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE GATE WITH LESS THAN THE 'PROPOSED' FUEL WITHOUT A CALL TO DISPATCH, EXCESS FUEL IS OF NO CONCERN UNLESS THE ACFT IS NEAR MAX GROSS TKOF WT, MAX RAMP WT, OR MAX ZERO FUEL WT. THE ACFT HAS INSTITUTED A PROC, IN RESPONSE TO THIS RPTR'S CONCERN, THAT REQUIRED THE FLCS TO NOTIFY LOAD CTL WHEN ANY OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED MAX WTS ARE ENCOUNTERED. A CHANGE IN THE ACARS SOFTWARE IS PROPOSED THAT WILL SEND THE ACTUAL FUEL LOAD TO LOAD CTL BEFORE THE 'OUT' EVENT.

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.