 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
B737-400 took off 5500 pounds heavier than weight manifest because too much fuel had been inserted in a tank with an inoperative fuel quantity gauge.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 369933 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199705 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sea |
| State Reference | WA |
| 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 | B737-400 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11550 flight time type : 3500 |
| ASRS Report | 369933 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Aircraft has a center tank fuel quantity indicator inoperative, and has had for some time. It needs to be repaired or a better method of putting in a known quantity. Aircraft was released with 21000 pounds fuel on board, 10000 pounds in each wing tank and 150 gallons in center tank. (Center tank has no drip sticks so maintenance ensured only 150 gallons put in center tank for 1000 pounds fuel.) but center tank must not have been empty because at lin (using flight plan burn, which was 9.5) we should have had 11000 pounds fuel left (21000 pounds start minus 1/2 tank minus 9500 pounds burn). But in fact, over lin, instead of 11000 pounds fuel on board we had 16500 pounds (an extra 5500 pounds!).
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-400 TOOK OFF 5500 LBS HEAVIER THAN WT MANIFEST BECAUSE TOO MUCH FUEL HAD BEEN INSERTED IN A TANK WITH AN INOP FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE.
Narrative: ACFT HAS A CTR TANK FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR INOP, AND HAS HAD FOR SOME TIME. IT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED OR A BETTER METHOD OF PUTTING IN A KNOWN QUANTITY. ACFT WAS RELEASED WITH 21000 LBS FUEL ON BOARD, 10000 LBS IN EACH WING TANK AND 150 GALLONS IN CTR TANK. (CTR TANK HAS NO DRIP STICKS SO MAINT ENSURED ONLY 150 GALLONS PUT IN CTR TANK FOR 1000 LBS FUEL.) BUT CTR TANK MUST NOT HAVE BEEN EMPTY BECAUSE AT LIN (USING FLT PLAN BURN, WHICH WAS 9.5) WE SHOULD HAVE HAD 11000 LBS FUEL LEFT (21000 LBS START MINUS 1/2 TANK MINUS 9500 LBS BURN). BUT IN FACT, OVER LIN, INSTEAD OF 11000 LBS FUEL ON BOARD WE HAD 16500 LBS (AN EXTRA 5500 LBS!).
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.