A DC10-30 freighter captain took off with his ballast fuel in the wrong tank.

Attributes
ACN	355846
Time
Date	199612
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sju airport : sjc
State Reference	PR
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	DC-10 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 9600
ASRS Report	355846
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Incorrect ballast fuel load. Took off with 45000 pounds ballast fuel in tank #2 vice proper position in upper auxiliary tank. Center of gravity was too far aft. Weight and balance original paperwork was incorrect. In the distraction of getting corrected paperwork, the crew failed to verify that the fuel was actually loaded with 45000 pounds ballast in upper auxiliary tank. Fuel was loaded all in tanks #1, #2, and #3. Fuel total was correct and I failed to verify the correct tank loading. Our error was not discovered until airborne. Takeoff was uneventful. Flight operations was notified and a safety report was filled out. Lesson learned was in focusing on details of the preflight paperwork that were incorrect.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10-30 FREIGHTER CAPT TOOK OFF WITH HIS BALLAST FUEL IN THE WRONG TANK.

Narrative: INCORRECT BALLAST FUEL LOAD. TOOK OFF WITH 45000 LBS BALLAST FUEL IN TANK #2 VICE PROPER POS IN UPPER AUX TANK. CTR OF GRAVITY WAS TOO FAR AFT. WT AND BAL ORIGINAL PAPERWORK WAS INCORRECT. IN THE DISTR OF GETTING CORRECTED PAPERWORK, THE CREW FAILED TO VERIFY THAT THE FUEL WAS ACTUALLY LOADED WITH 45000 LBS BALLAST IN UPPER AUX TANK. FUEL WAS LOADED ALL IN TANKS #1, #2, AND #3. FUEL TOTAL WAS CORRECT AND I FAILED TO VERIFY THE CORRECT TANK LOADING. OUR ERROR WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL AIRBORNE. TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL. FLT OPS WAS NOTIFIED AND A SAFETY RPT WAS FILLED OUT. LESSON LEARNED WAS IN FOCUSING ON DETAILS OF THE PREFLT PAPERWORK THAT WERE INCORRECT.

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.