Narrative:

Sep/xx/95 while flying first officer as a check captain for a new captain on his IOE we accidentally departed with our fuel load improperly loaded. I believe there were 2 contributing factors. Inbound the previous evening we failed to burn off our center tank fuel. I failed to notice my partner missed turning on the center tank fuel pumps. I feel I would have corrected this oversight except this particular model's fuel gauges are liquid crystal display type and at night, dusk, and late afternoon when sunglasses are still needed but the cockpit is in shadow, these gauges are unreadable from the first officer vantage point. Secondly the next morning we were concerned we had the correct amount of fuel and it just didn't register that the wing tanks weren't topped off -- a B737 requirement if more than 1000 pounds is in the center tank. Due to a couple of incidents we have had with crews departing without the correct amount of fuel, a great amount of emphasis and procedure has been implemented to make sure the correct amount of fuel is boarded. Once we ascertained we had the right amount on board we were satisfied and just didn't pick up on the imbalance until airborne. We immediately burnt off the center tank fuel. Although we set ourselves up the night before, I don't think we would have had any center tank fuel when we landed if we had had normal analog fuel gauges one can see in their normal looking about. We also erred when we let our preoccupation with the correct amount of fuel allow us to unintentionally disregard how it was loaded.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL DISTRIBUTION LOAD NOT IN WT AND BAL LIMITS.

Narrative: SEP/XX/95 WHILE FLYING FO AS A CHK CAPT FOR A NEW CAPT ON HIS IOE WE ACCIDENTALLY DEPARTED WITH OUR FUEL LOAD IMPROPERLY LOADED. I BELIEVE THERE WERE 2 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. INBOUND THE PREVIOUS EVENING WE FAILED TO BURN OFF OUR CTR TANK FUEL. I FAILED TO NOTICE MY PARTNER MISSED TURNING ON THE CTR TANK FUEL PUMPS. I FEEL I WOULD HAVE CORRECTED THIS OVERSIGHT EXCEPT THIS PARTICULAR MODEL'S FUEL GAUGES ARE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY TYPE AND AT NIGHT, DUSK, AND LATE AFTERNOON WHEN SUNGLASSES ARE STILL NEEDED BUT THE COCKPIT IS IN SHADOW, THESE GAUGES ARE UNREADABLE FROM THE FO VANTAGE POINT. SECONDLY THE NEXT MORNING WE WERE CONCERNED WE HAD THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL AND IT JUST DIDN'T REGISTER THAT THE WING TANKS WEREN'T TOPPED OFF -- A B737 REQUIREMENT IF MORE THAN 1000 LBS IS IN THE CTR TANK. DUE TO A COUPLE OF INCIDENTS WE HAVE HAD WITH CREWS DEPARTING WITHOUT THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL, A GREAT AMOUNT OF EMPHASIS AND PROC HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO MAKE SURE THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL IS BOARDED. ONCE WE ASCERTAINED WE HAD THE RIGHT AMOUNT ON BOARD WE WERE SATISFIED AND JUST DIDN'T PICK UP ON THE IMBALANCE UNTIL AIRBORNE. WE IMMEDIATELY BURNT OFF THE CTR TANK FUEL. ALTHOUGH WE SET OURSELVES UP THE NIGHT BEFORE, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE HAD ANY CTR TANK FUEL WHEN WE LANDED IF WE HAD HAD NORMAL ANALOG FUEL GAUGES ONE CAN SEE IN THEIR NORMAL LOOKING ABOUT. WE ALSO ERRED WHEN WE LET OUR PREOCCUPATION WITH THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL ALLOW US TO UNINTENTIONALLY DISREGARD HOW IT WAS LOADED.

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.