Narrative:

Overhead warning display, 'center fuel low pressure' light illuminated with 4000 pounds fuel in tank. Moved switches from 'altitude fuel burn' position to 'on.' after 10 mins, light still hadn't extinguished and, instead of burning exclusively from center tank, all 3 tanks were losing fuel. Went to next step in procedure and secured all tank pumps except centerline. Fuel now burned from centerline. Sent message (ACARS) to maintenance coordination and it was acknowledged. Upon arrival in tpa, no maintenance personnel met our aircraft with downing gripe. It was scheduled for a full passenger return flight to cvg. I called dispatch without success. I got in touch with air carrier maintenance control who said analyst failed to pass on message, but they would get on problem. Returned to cockpit and found mechanics checking pumps. One suggested (not seeing me outside) they defer the alternate fuel burn system and dispatch it. I stepped in and told them that wasn't the problem and after admitting this plane had a prior history of fuel problems, they left. I called dispatcher who surmised, as copilot and I had, that we could not make cvg with sufficient reserves using wing tanks only. I proposed an intermediate fuel stop such as tys or atl. He said he would call back. About 20 mins later I called him and he proposed sending plane out with center pumps deferred per MEL and to try and use them in flight and go to cvg as planned, stopping only if the fuel wouldn't come out of center tank. I told him what he proposed was illegal and, after another 10-15 mins, we received paperwork to tys. What is so outrageous is that the company proposed 2 illegal dispatches on an aircraft with a history of problems they put off solving.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD88 CREW REFUSED TWO ILLEGAL DISPATCH SUGGESTIONS BEFORE ITS MAINT AND DISPATCH DEPTS GOT TOGETHER AND AGREED WITH THE RPTING CAPT.

Narrative: OVERHEAD WARNING DISPLAY, 'CTR FUEL LOW PRESSURE' LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH 4000 LBS FUEL IN TANK. MOVED SWITCHES FROM 'ALT FUEL BURN' POS TO 'ON.' AFTER 10 MINS, LIGHT STILL HADN'T EXTINGUISHED AND, INSTEAD OF BURNING EXCLUSIVELY FROM CTR TANK, ALL 3 TANKS WERE LOSING FUEL. WENT TO NEXT STEP IN PROC AND SECURED ALL TANK PUMPS EXCEPT CTRLINE. FUEL NOW BURNED FROM CTRLINE. SENT MESSAGE (ACARS) TO MAINT COORD AND IT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. UPON ARR IN TPA, NO MAINT PERSONNEL MET OUR ACFT WITH DOWNING GRIPE. IT WAS SCHEDULED FOR A FULL PAX RETURN FLT TO CVG. I CALLED DISPATCH WITHOUT SUCCESS. I GOT IN TOUCH WITH ACR MAINT CTL WHO SAID ANALYST FAILED TO PASS ON MESSAGE, BUT THEY WOULD GET ON PROB. RETURNED TO COCKPIT AND FOUND MECHS CHKING PUMPS. ONE SUGGESTED (NOT SEEING ME OUTSIDE) THEY DEFER THE ALTERNATE FUEL BURN SYS AND DISPATCH IT. I STEPPED IN AND TOLD THEM THAT WASN'T THE PROB AND AFTER ADMITTING THIS PLANE HAD A PRIOR HISTORY OF FUEL PROBS, THEY LEFT. I CALLED DISPATCHER WHO SURMISED, AS COPLT AND I HAD, THAT WE COULD NOT MAKE CVG WITH SUFFICIENT RESERVES USING WING TANKS ONLY. I PROPOSED AN INTERMEDIATE FUEL STOP SUCH AS TYS OR ATL. HE SAID HE WOULD CALL BACK. ABOUT 20 MINS LATER I CALLED HIM AND HE PROPOSED SENDING PLANE OUT WITH CTR PUMPS DEFERRED PER MEL AND TO TRY AND USE THEM IN FLT AND GO TO CVG AS PLANNED, STOPPING ONLY IF THE FUEL WOULDN'T COME OUT OF CTR TANK. I TOLD HIM WHAT HE PROPOSED WAS ILLEGAL AND, AFTER ANOTHER 10-15 MINS, WE RECEIVED PAPERWORK TO TYS. WHAT IS SO OUTRAGEOUS IS THAT THE COMPANY PROPOSED 2 ILLEGAL DISPATCHES ON AN ACFT WITH A HISTORY OF PROBS THEY PUT OFF SOLVING.

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.